Before & After Photos

This crawl space had issues with mildew/mold, falling insulation, an ineffective vapor barrier, and moisture concerns in the home. We removed the old insulation and vapor barrier, treated the mildew/mold, installed a new vapor barrier, applied spray foam insulation on the crawl space walls, sealed all the vents, the rim and band, and sill plate, and insulated behind the crawl space door, then installed a dehumidifier to control relative humidity. 

We installed about 1.5 inches of closed-cell spray foam over the foundation walls of this crawl space in Glen Allen, VA. At this thickness, the spray foam has an R10 value of insulation and acts as an air barrier and vapor retarder. We blocked out any open vents running along the crawl space wall, as these vents allow outside air and moisture to freely enter to crawl space, affecting the environment and relative humidity. With any insulation we install over the foundation walls, we always leave a 2-inch viewing strip at the top of the wall for termite inspectors. With these solutions in place, the crawl space is better protected from any outside influence penetrating through the foundation walls.

This homeowner was experiencing moisture issues within their crawl space. With open vents lining the porous foundation walls and many areas of the floor remaining exposed, this crawl space was being affected by the outside air and moisture, as well as the moisture rising from earth. This influence can affect the environment and the relative humidity of the crawl space. An elevated relative humidity can lead to condensation, puddling, and mold and mildew growth. Our installers placed a heavy-duty 20mil vapor barrier, called CleanSpace, over the dirt floor of the crawl space. It is wrapped around all piers, sealed with vinyl tape, and mechanically fastened to the foundation walls six to eight inches above outside grade. This liner will assist in sealing off any moisture rising out of the earth. It is one of many solutions when fully sealing and encapsulating the outside off from your crawl space.

A homeowner in Henrico, Virginia called us out to insulate and seal their crawl space from any outside influence. We installed a heavy-duty CleanSpace vapor barrier over the dirt floor, wrapped it around all piers, and mechanically fastened it to the foundation walls. This will help to keep the earth's moisture from rising into the area and increasing the relative humidity. We also covered any open vents and applied a spray foam over the foundation walls, which at an inch and a half thick will act as an air barrier and vapor retarder. With the walls and dirt flooring sealed and insulated, the crawl space will be less affected by outside air and moisture.

The original liner installed in this Henrico crawl space was a flimsy 6-mil vapor barrier. There were gaps in the liner, exposing the crawl space to moisture rising from the earth. This moisture can increase the relative humidity, which can lead to mold or mildew growth, condensation, and higher energy bills. We replaced this old liner with our 10-mil CleanSpace Light vapor barrier, which gets wrapped around all piers and mechanically fastened and sealed six to eight inches above outside grade on the foundation walls. CleanSpace will help protect the crawl space from moisture rising from the earth and comes with an antimicrobial, called UltraFresh, built into the material to help mitigate mold growth on the liner, itself.