Broken pipe in crawl space leads to yucky, muddy mess - Crawl space repair in Waretown home

Tuesday, August 9th, 2016 by Bill Cowley

Challenge

The Crawl Space Solutions by Cowleys installation team was dispatched to a home in Whiting to make improvements to a crawl space with chronic water issues. Crawl space water can not only lead to structural or foundation damage to your home, but can also trigger dangerous mold growth and unhealthy indoor air. Mold thrives in places with standing water or high humidity, and there is no better condition for mold growth than a dark, chronically wet crawl space. While the mold down below may be “out of sight and out of mind.” those mold spores multiplying and colonizing down below are carried by air currents throughout the living spaces above. For many, this mold-tainted air will cause or exacerbate respiratory problems, especially for those with mold sensitivity. While all of us prefer to make “flashy” home improvements like kitchen, bathroom, or flooring upgrades, there are times when homeowners need to make improvements that are necessary for protecting your home investment. And there are few things more important for maintaining your home’s value and livability than repairing a wet crawl space or basement. The reality is that if you don’t “voluntarily” deal with this problem now, you’ll be forced to deal with it later — and it will be much more expensive to fix.

For this Whiting home, the installation team was tasked with installing a smart pump, an Everlast door, vent blockers, and a dehumidifier. We were also instructed to remove the existing vapor barrier. Upon arrival, we were greeted by a crawl space that was full of muddy water. The existing vapor barrier was full of muddy water as well. Suffice it to say, we had our work cut out for us. But the more challenging the job, the more fun it is for us!

Solution

First, we installed a “smart” sump pump. The sump pumps used in our crawl space waterproofing system are the best on the market. Built with top-quality motors and components, they are designed to handle high water volume and long run times. These pumps also have a battery backup system so they will work when they need to be working — even if you lose power! The pumps are housed in a durable plastic sump pump liner with an airtight cover so you don’t have to deal with an ugly open hole that can attract insects and rodents.

With the sump pump installed, it was time to get some exercise. The crew dug trenches in the crawl space in order to funnel the water towards the smart pump. Although our smart pumps are built to handle with muddy water, so as to not unduly strain the equipment, we set it up with the stones in order to drain the water and clear away some of the mud. Now, with the standing water out of the crawl space, we could better assess what was causing the excess water. What everyone originally suspected as groundwater was actually a break in the water main pipe at the foundation wall. We immediately relayed this information to the homeowner, who then arranged to have a plumber repair the broken pipe.

Next on our “to do” list was covering the vents to block outside air from entering. We installed a special Everlast vent cover door over one of the openings. Even though these vent covers completely seal the vents from the outdoor elements, they are easy to open whenever you need to access your crawl space. To open these vent covers, all you need to do is twist a few knobs, and you’re in! They can be installed against wood framing or masonry, and close off outside air and moisture from entering the crawl space through the exterior vents. Made with a hard durable plastic, they stand up to the worst weather conditions, and, unlike wood vents, they re completely maintenance free. They never rot, warp, or crack and never need to be painted. For the other vents, we installed Cleanspace crawl space vent covers. Like the Everlast vent door, these are made out of durable plastic, so they never need to be painted and there are no rotting or rusting issues.

Finally, we installed a SaniDry dehumidifier that is specifically designed for crawl spaces. Operating in temperatures as low as 40 degrees F, they are much more powerful than traditional dehumidifiers. This unit has the capacity to extract close to 14 gallons of water per day at 80 degrees F, if necessary. These dehumidifiers do not require human intervention. They operate automatically, turning on and off according to a built-in hygrometer that measures indoor relative humidity. There is no water tray; instead, these machines connect directly into the drainage system so they never need to be emptied.

All the water from the sump pump exits the crawl space through the sump pump discharge line. As added protection against the discharge line freezing, we installed an IceGuard, which, to me, looks like a wiffle ball. Pipe terminations can become covered with snow and ice in the winter, preventing the sump pump water from exiting and backing up into the sump pump. The IceGuard keeps the discharge pipe open by allowing the water to escape if the line freezes or becomes blocked. Even if the pipe outlet is buried under ice and snow, the water can still escape and once the discharge pipe thaws, the water will automatically run along its normal route. It’s a totally automatic device with no valves to turn or hoses to attach.

This Whiting homeowner was extremely happy with his improved crawl space. it was a huge relief for the customer that the water problem he was having in his crawl space was finally addressed. These crawl space improvements added real value to his home. They not only protected his home investment, but they also removed a dangerous crawl space environment where mold could grow and thrive.