Crawl Space Repair Before & After Photos

It might be hard to tell in the before photo of this cottage crawl space, but the ceiling is starting to slope. The ceilings of crawl spaces are called floor joists, and they are directly responsible for the structural integrity of the floor above them, along with anything else that depends on that floor. While a sloping floor is by no means a good thing, it isn’t a death sentence for your house, either. It’s pretty common for the wood joists in a crawl space to begin to rot due to exposure to moisture and other crawl space conditions. That is exactly why, as foundation experts, we use a permanent solution to stop sloping floors. The added support in the after photo is the SmartJack system. As you can see, the SmartJacks were attached at the top to the wood support beam that holds up the floor joists and secured into the ground with a backfill combination of gravel and concrete. The SmartJacks won’t start to sink or slip away, so neither will the crawl space. SmartJacks are the perfect solution for all sagging crawl spaces.

Reid worried about the moisture collecting in his crawl space. He called Ayers because he needed help. Our experts evaluated and decided to install the CleanSpace vapor barrier. CleanSpace is applied to the crawl space walls and floors to create a continuous, antimicrobial liner barrier to eliminate mold growth and deter critters. Reid can't believe how clean his crawl space is!

Diane called Ayers because she was looking to have her crawl space area waterproofed. We had a crew inspect her crawl space to determine the best installation. Our System Design Specialists recommended our CleanSpace solution. CleanSpace consists of a thick plastic with a vapor barrier property that protects from excess water and moisture. This surplus of moisture causes bacteria or mold to thrive which is the opposite of what Diane wanted so this will take care of that issue! The liner is placed over our Drainage Matting which is a dimpled mat that collects water and gives it a channel to flow to the sump or drainage system rather than collecting in puddles on the ground. Diane was stunned by the results now that her crawl space is protected and looking much cleaner!

 It’s frustrating to have crawl space problems in the home you live in every day, but it’s equally frustrating to have them in a vacation home. This cottage up north in Kewadin, MI was a retreat for East Lansing, MI residents, so they knew they had to do something when they realized the crawl space of the cottage was damp and starting to get moldy.

Our team visited the cottage and got right to work encapsulating the crawl space. We added Terrablock insulation on the floors and SilverGlo insulation to the walls to keep the crawl space warm before installing CleanSpace. This durable liner will provide a barrier to moisture and the antimicrobial additive that’s manufactured into the liner will keep mold away. Adding a SaniDry dehumidifier to eliminate the moisture in the air was the last step to making this cottage nice and dry.

This family cottage was recently passed down and the new owner decided her first change to the property would be to waterproof the crawl space. She noticed standing water was pooling and was concerned that the proximity of the cottage to the lake would cause it to happen again. Though when she called she was only looking for a sump pump, our system design specialist explained that if only a pump was installed the crawl space would still be at risk. That’s why when the crew went out they installed a full crawl space encapsulation to go along with the sump pump.

One of the great benefits of CleanSpace is its ability to be wrapped around everything in a crawl space. From walls to floors and piers, it doesn’t matter because CleanSpace can do it all. With a new SmartSump also installed, water will be swiftly discharged if it penetrates the dirt floor or the block walls. CleanSpace will keep that water and any moisture from reaching the structural integrity of the cottage. The plastic liner is ultra-durable and inorganic so mold won’t grow on it or the wooden piers as it was doing in the past. Thanks to CleanSpace, this family cottage is ready to be enjoyed once again.