Rainy Day Basement Systems Case Studies: Fixing Water in Crawlspace, Bothell WA

Wednesday, October 9th, 2019 by Bayleigh Stelling

Challenge

Damon’s home in Bothell, Washington, leaked periodically during heavy rains. Eventually, this caused rot and mold to grow in his crawlspace. He was concerned about the poor air quality caused by his nasty crawlspace and decided to finally get it fixed. Our System Design Specialist, Ryan Adams, visited Damon’s home for a complimentary inspection and estimate to determine a solution.

Solution

Wyatt Sokolis was the foreman for this project. He and the crew started the project with digging out trenches in the crawlspace and under the footings by two feet. They laid down piping in the trenches and performed a flood test to ensure proper flow to the low spot of the crawlspace to place in the TripleSafe Sump System.

The TripleSafe is a vital component of crawlspace waterproofing. The unique ‘Figure Eight’ design allows three pumps to fit perfectly in the TripleSafe liner, and the lid can be easily removed for service and inspections. Two of the pumps can handle a total of 6200 gallons of water per hour, and the third pump is battery operated to take over if the power or circuit breaker fails. The system also has a WaterWatch Alarm to sound off if the water rises above the point where the pumps should turn on before damage can occur.

The crew laid down our Drainage Matting, which is installed to create a space and thermal break between the CleanSpace and the ground. This helps water flow to the piping or sump system. It also adds durability and puncture resistance over the top of rugged soil. The CleanSpace encapsulation can alleviate some of the negative effects of a dirt crawlspace, such as the mold and wood rot Damon was experiencing. By isolating the ground from the home, condensation and pests are unlikely to get through the high density liner. The team installed 1050 square feet of CleanSpace and Drainage Matting under the home.

After the encapsulation, we added in the final touch: the SaniDry Sedona.This dehumidifier helps eliminate the damp, musty odors in the crawlspace by filtering the air. Most dehumidifiers cost a lot in electricity to run, however the SaniDry is an exception to this and is Energy Star Rated. Despite using less power than a typical dehumidifier, it is still extremely powerful for its size. Our dehumidifier automatically maintains healthy air quality, so the homeowner can finally ease his mind after worrying about it for so long.

The project took four days in total to complete. When it was finished, we left the home better than it was in the many years that Damon had lived there. It was finally completely dry, healthy, and clean.