Melting Snow Creates Mess in Crawl Space Under Watervliet, MI, Home
Challenge
Cheryl noticed a musty smell in her home and was shocked to find a half-inch of water on the crawl space floor. It was dark down there, so she needed help to figure out the problem.
Solution
Ayers’ system design specialist arrived on time for Cheryl’s appointment and did a thorough inspection of her home and its crawl space. He donned protective coveralls, entered the area through a small opening in the garage, and used a flashlight to survey the mess. Then he made his way into the murky space, explored the entire area, and took pictures to show Cheryl exactly what he found.
The stagnant water in the crawl space was the result of melting snow that seeped through the dirt under the foundation walls. Cheryl’s sump pump had stopped working, and the water couldn’t drain away through the saturated soil. The excess moisture was beginning to affect the joists supporting the floor above.
After the inspection, we sat down with Cheryl to explain our findings, educate her about the best way to protect her home from future water problems, and provide her with a free estimate for the repairs.
When the Ayers crew came back to tackle the project, they began by cleaning the sump pump to get it back in top working order. The next step involved installing drainage matting on the floor of the crawl space. Drainage matting is a dimpled polyethylene material that allows water to easily flow to the sump pump.
The crew then covered the drainage matting and encapsulated the floors and walls with CleanSpace, a 20-mil thick plastic material similar to a pool liner. The bright white CleanSpace completely sealed Cheryl’s home from the earth and transformed the crawl space from a nasty pit to a part of the house you wouldn’t hesitate to go into.
Finally, we installed our exclusive Sanidry Sedona dehumidifier to keep ambient humidity in check and prevent further damage to the structure of the floors above the crawl space.
Cheryl is glad to no longer worry about water under her home or dealing with nasty odors from the crawl space. She can even use the area for clean, dry extra storage!
