Crawlspace Encapsulation

Traditional dirt crawl spaces are full of moisture that enters via evaporation and diffusion through the soil and sidewalls. An important part of a crawl space moisture control strategy is the installation of a vapor barrier and encapsulation. A vapor barrier provides the crawl space with a moisture and soil gas protection layer that decreases the amount of moisture and radon present in the crawl space. Crawlspace encapsulation is the process of isolating the crawlspace from the ground and outside air with vapor barriers, vent sealing and the conditioning of the air in the crawl space.

Crawl space encapsulation is a relatively new technology used to treat chronic humidity, mold and unhealthy conditions in crawl spaces. The process completely isolates the crawl space from the ground and outside air by lining the structure with a high-performance vapor barrier, specifically designed for this purpose and installing either a dehumidifier or a crawl space conditioning system.

The objective is to include the crawl space area as a part of the internal envelope of the building. Many homes built on crawl space foundations in the United States suffer from poor moisture management. The current trend of striving for a healthy home is damaged by crawl space moisture. Some of the common symptoms of a crawl space moisture problem are:

• Mold or moisture damage in the crawl space
• Musty odors in the living area
• Condensation on air conditioning ductwork or equipment
• Condensation on insulation, water pipes
• Buckled hardwood floors
• High humidity in the living area
• Insect infestations
• Rot in wooden framing
These symptoms are most often noticed in the humid spring and summer seasons but can occur at any time of the year. Often, the heating and air conditioning contractor is the first person the residents call to deal with the problem. Typically though, the problem is not due to a failure of the air conditioning system; it results from poor moisture control in the crawl space and can be solved by waterproofing contractors.

The best vapor barriers have excellent physical characteristics, including high puncture resistance, high tensile strength and low water permeability. They will prevent ground moisture from entering the crawl space when installed on the walls and across the soil, greatly reducing the negative effects of a moisture laden crawlspace.
Contact a waterproofing contractor today to make your crawl space drier and improve your indoor air quality.

If your walls are damp and stained placing a basement wall waterproofing system over the wall will not only make the stone, block our poured walls look better but will act as a vapor barrier shielding the living space from water vapor transmission.

A low permeability vapor barrier in conjunction with a sealed interior drain system protects the basement against moisture. This moisture can cause mold, mildew, fungus, odors and poor indoor air quality. Sealing your basements walls not only makes your basement look better but it protects the health of your family.

Basement Finishing

If you are getting ready to finish all or part of your basement a basement wall vapor barrier system will protect your investment from moisture and moisture related problems. There will be no more mold and fungus growing on the drywall, no more effervescence stains on the walls and no longer will you have high humidity levels in your new living space. By maintaining lower humidity levels your new wood work will be shielded from excessive expansion by your new low permeability vapor barrier.

Finishing your basement adds valuable living space to your home and can become the new meeting place for friends and family. But, if your newly finished basement has water leaks or floods, this new beautiful space becomes a nightmare. Protecting your self from this nightmare is as easy as contacting a waterproofing professional.

Thermal Vapor Barriers

Thermal vapor barriers are a foil faced vapor barrier that has double layers of bubbles and true white poly wall vapor barrier on the back. The reflective foil face can reflect up to 90% of the indoor heat back into the basement living space. You are now able to save energy and protect against moisture, mold, mildew and potential water leaks all with one product. A professionally installed thermal vapor barrier system is the perfect option if you are going to finish your basement and are concerned about energy usage.

Once again, the thermal vapor barrier, when used in conjunction with an interior drain system will protect your investment while increasing your indoor air quality. If you are tired of ugly and wet basement walls vapor barrier systems can be the answer to new interior living space.

Sump Pump Pits

 A sump pump system is designed to remove water from around and under your foundation. One of the often overlooked but key ingredients to a quality sump pump system is the basin or pit liner. The design of the sump pit will greatly affect the efficiency and effectiveness of the sump pump system. No longer do you have to settle for a glorified trash can in your basement floor. Quality sump pits are available through quality waterproofing contractors throughout the US.



The first thing you need to look at is the shape. The unique bell shape of the pit above left, allows for a greater amount of water to gather at the inlet of the sump pump. This design causes the sump pump to run less often and more efficiently. Your sump pump will run less often and allow more water to be removed when it is turned on, effectively increasing the life of your sump pump system. Remember, your sump basin needs to be large enough to easily add an extra sump pump or battery backup sump pump. If the basin is not wide enough at the base there will not be enough room for water to collect because of too much equipment being placed in the bottom of the pit.
Following the shape, you will see that some sump basins will have perforated holes around the perimeter and some will not. Depending on the design of the whole system will dictate whether or not perforations are needed. In many clay soils the perforations will help remove water from under the slab. In sandy soils perforations can cause clogging of the sump pump system.

Sealed Sump Lid

The next feature to look for is an airtight, moisture proof lid. The lid or cover is a very important piece to a quality sump basin or waterproofing system. There are several reasons to cover your pit with a lid. First, for safety concerns. With children and pets around you want to keep the sump pit covered to prevent someone or something from falling in the pit. Next, an airtight lid will prevent moisture from migrating throughout the living space. The main purpose of a sump basin is to remove water from the home, so keeping the water in the sump pump basin by using a sump pit lid is necessary. One feature of some sump basin lids is the ability to see through them. Clear, sump pit lids allow you to see into the sump pit and make sure that everything is operating properly. These lids will have a gasket seal surrounding the perimeter which helps fight against noise and prevents moisture from entering the living space while allowing you to observe its functions.

Sump basins are not all built alike. Take your time and evaluate the basin before you decide which type to install. Many of us have “builders grade”, glorified trash cans installed in our homes. If you have basement water problems one of the first upgrades that should be made is the sump basin or pit. A quality basin along with a battery backup sump pump can go a long way towards fixing basement water issues.

French Drain

French drains are a time proven system for eliminating excess water. The earliest forms of French Drains were simple ditches, pitched from a high area to a lower one and filled with gravel. These were described and popularized by Henry French in his book Farm Drainage. Today, specialized drain tiles are designed with perforations or holes to admit water. To prevent clogging gravel is placed around the perimeter of the drain tile to give water a path to the drain tile as well as filter soil particles. With the development of geo-textile fabrics, gravel can now be surrounded with this fabric greatly enhancing its ability to filter soil. A French drain can be covered over with sod after installation, making them less conspicuous.

Over time the term French drain has developed numerous definitions and has been applied to many different products. It has gotten to the point that any piping that is buried in the ground is now called a French drain.

As explained in his book, Farm Drainage, "a trench is cut in the cellar-bottom, two feet from the wall, a foot deep at the farthest corner from the outlet and deepening towards it, round the whole cellar, following the course of the walls. In this trench, two-inch pipe tiles are laid, and carefully covered with tan-bark, and the trenches filled with the earth. This tile drain [is] connected with the outlet drain 18 inches under ground, and the earth levelled over the whole.”French Drains were originally designed for basements or cellars. The idea behind it was to decrease moisture which in turn improved air quality in the home. These are the same issues we have today and the same methods to solve these issues are used and approved by building codes.

With every simple design comes copy-cats looking to make a buck. Today the market is full of extruded plastic versions like “drain tracs”, “water conduits”, “drain guards” and the like. Many are trying to make a simple process more difficult, so that they can charge more money. Well sometimes a design works so well that we should stick with it. That is why building codes and engineers prefer simple perforated pipe surrounded with clean gravel and covered with geo-textile fabric. The only difficult part is the layout and the labor.

There are plenty of cautions and concerns when installing a French Drain system. One needs to be careful of its placement around footings in basement waterproofing applications. Too low can cause undermining of the footing and too high will not remove water from beneath the slab. Proper slob is also a large concern. Many companies try to cut costs by placing drain systems on top of footings. Once you realize that the foundation contractor went to great lengths to keep his footing flat, you will understand that water cannot run down hill if there is no hill. Be very careful of this type of modern day “french drain”.

French drains are very effective and time proven. When installed correctly and applied to correct situations they can handle vast quantities of water for many years.

Wet Basements

While nothing is quite as frustrating as dealing with a wet basement. Water can damage walls and flooring and ruin irreplaceable things like photo albums and family heirlooms. If left uncontrolled foundation damage can occur. Knowing the causes of wet basements and how to prevent water damage can help prevent this frustration.

Where Wet Basements Come From

In order to prevent a wet basement, it is important to understand where the source of the water. There are four common sources of water that seeps into your basement:

Surface water running down foundation walls

Groundwater in water-saturated soils being pushed into the basement by hydrostatic pressure

Storm sewer water from the municipal storm sewer system backing up into the home's existing perimeter foundation drain and leaking into the basement (this can only occur if the perimeter foundation drain system is connected to the municipal sewer system)

Sanitary sewer water from a combined municipal storm/sanitary sewer system backing up into the home's drain system, causing sewer water to come up through sink drains and floor drains on lower levels.

When you experience a wet basement for the first time, it is imperative to determine if the water problems are going to reoccur or if it was a one-time event. Essential to solving this question is determining the source.

Controlling Surface Water

If this is your first time for basement water problems, the first thing to check for is surface water draining down next to the foundations. Water coming in at one location and only at the exterior foundation wall are typical indications of surface water problems. Here are some things to look for:

1.Are the gutters overflowing because they are blocked? Keeping gutters clean of debris should be a part of every homeowner's routine maintenance program.

2.  Are gutters overflowing because there are not enough downspouts on the house?

3.  Do the downspout outlets extend at least 10 feet from the home?

4.  Do the downspouts drain into the footing tile system? 

5.  Are there any paved areas next to the house that slope toward the house? 

6.  At paved areas that abut the house, is there sealant in the joint at the pavement and  house wall intersection, and if so, is it cracked?

7.  Is the ground around the home sloping away from the home at least 10 feet? 

8.  Are there any hills sloping down toward the house that may be the source of the water? 

9.  Is there a lawn/shrub irrigation system discharging too much water next to the house?

Controlling subsurface groundwater

If no surface water sources are found, then the source of the water is likely subsurface groundwater under hydrostatic pressure. Unfortunately, subsurface groundwater problems are more difficult and more expensive to fix than surface groundwater problems. When the groundwater levels outside the basement rises above the level of the floor, the basement acts like a boat in a pond. If a boat is sitting in water, water will leak in through any open cracks or holes. It works the same way with a basement. Hydrostatic pressure can push water through hairline cracks. Symptoms of this are water coming up through cracks in the basement concrete floor or water coming in at multiple locations.

If you have an older house within town and the house has a basement with no sump pump, it is likely the perimeter foundation drain system connects directly into the city storm sewer system. If the level of the basement is below the street level, there is the potential of storm water backing up in the city storm sewer system and being pushed into the perimeter foundation drain system. This can saturate the soils around the house at the basement level with storm water under hydrostatic pressure, causing water to leak in.

No matter where it is coming from, the best way to control subsurface groundwater is to install some type of perimeter drain and waterproofing system to relieve hydrostatic pressure. The groundwater is pushed into the drain system and not into areas where it can damage carpets, walls or belongings. The water drains by gravity into a sump pit where a sump pump discharges it out of the house.

There are two basic types of drain systems for wet basements. One is a perimeter above-slab gutter system installed at the base of the exterior foundation walls on top of the floor slab. It doubles as a base material for the wall. The other type of drainage system is a below slab interior drainage system. The below slab system requires the partial removal of the concrete floor slab and installation of drainage pipe making it more expensive than the base gutter system.

It is commonly known that an under-floor drainage system is better because the under-floor drains are believed to relieve the hydrostatic pressure before the water reaches the bottom of the floor slab.

Storm water backing up into your home

In many older houses with basements (mostly pre-1980), there is a perimeter foundation drain outside the exterior wall, at the level of the basement floor, next to the footings at the time the house was built. A pipe was usually installed from the perimeter foundation drain to the street where it was connected to the city storm sewer system or to a sump pump system.

If it is connected to the city storm sewer it can become a problem as the city storm sewer system becomes too small when more development causes more rain runoff. When this happens, the rainwater in the sewer system can get so high that water flows backwards toward the house. The perimeter foundation drain fills with water and releases large quantities into the soil next to the footing and basement floor. The soil becomes water-logged and the water which is under hydrostatic pressure leaks into the basement.

Usually the installation of an interior perimeter basement drain system connected to a sump pump will take care of the problem. The interior perimeter basement drain system can usually pump the water out and onto the ground as fast as the water is backing up from the city storm sewer system.

If that doesn't take care of it, the other, more expensive alternative would be to dig up and cap the pipe that is running from the house to the street from the perimeter foundation drain. However, this is not always possible because many times, this pipe is also draining sanitary waste from toilets and sinks in the house. If you believe you have this problem, contact an experienced contractor for advice.

Sanitary sewer water backing up into your home

If the water is coming up through floor drains or sink drains in the basement, then the problem is likely water backing up from the municipal sanitary sewer system. This usually occurs in older sections of some cities that have combined sanitary and storm sewer systems. During heavy rains, combined sewer systems can become overwhelmed with water. This can cause sewer water to back up in the system and sometimes into homes.

You can imagine the mess this creates for homeowners because it usually means they are getting other people's fecal waste backing up into their basement. To correct this, cities should update their sewer systems so the sanitary sewer and storm sewer are running in separate pipes. Until this work is complete, the homeowner can install backflow preventers that help stop sewer water from flowing backward into the house.

Unfortunately, because the city sanitary system works in conjunction with every house sanitary piping, the backflow preventer usually cannot be located on the house's main sewer line. It usually requires several backflow preventers at all basement drain locations, such at every floor drain, sink and toilet. These backflow preventers require routine maintenance to make sure they are kept free of debris

Proper Gutters and Yard Drainage

During a one-inch rain, 1,250 gallons of water fall on the roof of a 2,000-square-foot house. Without proper grading, gutters, and downspouts, some of this water flows into your basement. To waterproof your foundation you must first manage the source of the water. Rain and rain runoff is often the source of wet basements and foundation repairs. Collecting and controlling surface rain water also can save you money on watering landscape plantings and save you time when mowing or trimming your yard.

To prevent water from leaking through your basement, look to gutters as your first line of defense. While gutters with downspout systems protect your house from rainwater and snowmelt, they can also compound surface drainage problems by concentrating runoff near its foundation. This water must be moved at least 10’ away from the foundation to prevent wet basement or foundation repairs. Downspouts can be directed into a catch basin and or drain pipe system.

Water should be carried through a solid drainpipe to a drywell, daylight or to a pop up emitter. Years ago, drywells were old 55-gallon oil drums with holes punched in them. From the start, these were doomed to fail as they rusted and collapsed. Today's recycled plastic drywells are easy to handle and work efficiently on many drainage problems.

The same type of system should be used for sump pump outlets. A sump pump installation is never complete until the water is directed away from the foundation so that it will not have to be pumped out of your basement again. The sump pump discharge line should be drained to a 3” or 4” solid line, that is buried, and then either run to daylight or to a pop-up emitter. It is very important for this discharge line to empty to a larger pipe as soon as possible, so as to not create back pressure on the sump pump.

Making sure the ground closest to your foundation is graded away from the home is also very important. When regarding this area be sure to use a clayey soil instead of mulch or other loose material. Water wicks directly down through mulch opposed to running off away from your basement. Clear away sod and plantings, then gently build up the soil to slope away from the foundation. The 10 feet of ground closest to the house should slope at least six inches downward to keep water from seeping into the basement or flooding landscaping.

For problems with consistently wet areas, drywells and catch basins can also be used. Buried drywells give this collecting water a place to go and can even be used with a drain pipe system to move the water to dryer areas. While swales can also be used, often swales can be very unattractive or cause mowing issues.

Surface drainage is the single most important application of foundation waterproofing. Unless you have an underground spring or an unusually high water table, the surface drainage portion of your waterproofing system needs to control the greatest amount of water.

French Drains

A French drain, drain tile or perimeter drain is depression covered with gravel that redirects surface and ground water away from a wet area. A French drain usually has drain pipes along the bottom to quickly move water that seeps down through the upper layer of gravel or rock. French drains are common drainage systems, primarily used to prevent ground and surface water from penetrating or damaging building foundations. The French drain technique may be used to distribute water, such as that which flows from behind retaining walls to relieve ground water pressure.

Be Careful with Waterproofing

Do's and Don'ts of Waterproofing

As you look around you will find many different choices when it comes to waterproofing methods and waterproofing products. Buyers beware! You will see television ads with high priced spokesmen telling you that their method of waterproofing is the best. You will find articles and websites on the internet telling you why their methods are the best. You will hear radio advertising tell you that XYZ Waterproofing is the best because they have been around the longest or they are the cheapest. You will hear and read a lot of advertising, but with some basic information you can determine if what you are being told is correct.

              Not all waterproofing products are made equally
              Not all installers are trained equally
              There is not one single choice of waterproofing product for all
              situations
              There are a lot of local bad waterproofing contractors
              Structural damage cannot be fixed with waterproofing
              Water flows downhill

The hiring of a professional engineer is the single most important piece of advice. This engineer will evaluate your structure and give you a written analysis of the structure. Most foundation engineers can recommend a waterproofing expert that is well versed in multiple types of waterproofing products. Parts of your house may need an interior drain while other parts may need exterior grading while yet other places may need foundation repairs or a sump pump. Do not risk your home getting flooded by hiring an unqualified contractor using inferior products or systems.


  Do's
 
Hire an engineer
Interview foundation repair installers
Ask informed questions
Ask for references
Require a sealed interior drain system
Require a interior system installed beside the footing
 
 
  Don't
 
Try it yourself, you are not trained
Make your decision based on advertising
Be swayed by price alone
Allow open backed drainage systems to be used on your home
Allow interior drain system to be placed on top of footing
 
If your interior drain system is not sealed off from the living space moisture, humidity, mold, iron bacteria and mildew are free to circulate within your home creating poor indoor air quality. Sealed interior drainage systems that feed a sealed sump pump system prevent basement humidity. Open backed interior drains create an unhealthy environment for your family as well as increase energy costs. Many times companies that use these cheap open backed systems push you to buying a humidifier due to the fact that they know the moisture in their drain system will cause high humidity levels in your home. Sealed drain systems and sealed sump basins are designed to increase indoor air quality.

Causes of Water Damage

It does not matter if you have a poured concrete foundation, block crawl space or stone foundation, water is the number one enemy to any type of foundation. Water infiltration through basement walls, poor gutters, bad drainage and subsurface water all lead to leaky, wet basements and crawlspaces. By stopping this water infiltration you will be protecting your homes value and your families’ health.

Checklist to prevent water problems:
• Properly Working Gutters
• Downspout Extensions
• Proper Grading
• Free Flowing Exterior Drain System
• Heavy Duty Sump Pump
• Sealed Interior Drainage System
• Wall Crack Repair
• Stable Foundation

Without all of these things working together you are risking a flooded basement and potential structural problems. Water is the enemy, a smart water management system installed by a trained professional is your first line of defense. Your local waterproofing professional can help you determine the best solution for your basement water problem.

Why is it happening?

Poor Drainage
Properly working gutters, downspouts and grading direct water away from the foundation. .

Exterior Drain System
Plugged or improperly installed exterior drains cause excessive pressure on the foundation.

Plumbing Leaks
Water from leaky plumbing is often a major contributor to foundation problems especially in slab on grade construction.

Sump Pumps
Weak or improperly sized sump pumps cannot remove water from around and under your home.
 
Poor Building Site Preparation 
Cut and fill situations, where soil is removed from part of the lot and stacked on another, must be compacted properly before your home is constructed; otherwise unexpected movements of the soil beneath the foundation may occur.

Lack of Interior Drainage 
Water pressure from under your slab can cause cracks and water infiltration into living spaces. By installing a sealed interior drain system water is quickly diverted away from the foundation.

Wall Cracks 
Wall cracks and ruptures create a path for water to enter your home causing high humidity and possibly mold and mildew problems.

Foundation
Fluctuating soil moisture levels, beneath the foundation, is the number one cause of foundation repairs. Maintaining a consistent moisture level allows for a stable foundation.