Rainy Day Basement Systems Case Studies: Arlington Crawl Space in Need of Waterprooofing
Challenge
Rachel and Mason P. lived in their Arlington home only two months before realizing they had a very leaky crawl space. It took them one trip into the space to see that water was easily making its way in, and the sump pump, which was installed incorrectly, was not efficiently pumping the water out. This was creating a very humid crawl space, which was ultimately affecting he air quality in the rest of the home. Because the moist air was rising throughout the house, Rachel and Mason were able to find mold and mildew developing in some places. This can easily agitate the allergies of some and trigger symptoms of sneezing and coughing.
Solution
As mentioned before, Rachel and Mason had recently moved into their home and decided it was more beneficial to them financially and physically in the long-run than bother with a short-term solution. In order to prevent water from reaching Rachel and Mason’s crawl space, drainage trenches were installed along the inside of the exterior wall footings. This allows water to be absorbed not only from the soil below, but from the wall footing itself as well. Their existing vapor barrier was in bad shape, covered in dirt and standing water. We put in a new 6 mil. black vapor barrier which will help reduce the amount of moisture allowed into the space.
A SmartSump Pump was installed to replace the inadequate one that was previously in use. Our SmartSump is equipped with a powerful Zoeller 1/3 horsepower cast-iron pump that can remove up to 2,190 gallons of water per hour. It also includes our WaterWatch Alarm System; like a smoke detector, it will alert the home owner in the event water reaches where it doesn’t belong. Giving the home owner a heads up in the event of flooding due to a burst pipe or a tripped circuit breaker can prevent serious water damages.
The pump then forces the water out of their buried discharge line and LawnScape Outlet. The two result in an outflow that is both discreet and safe to the homes foundation. Rachel and Mason now have a dry crawl space that should prevent future moisture and mold problems in their home.
