Rainy Day Basement Systems Case Studies: Waterproofing a Bellingham Crawl Space with CleanSpace and Drainage Trenching

Challenge

Thomas and Robyn G. moved into their Bellingham home in 2009. Their crawl space was rather tall and they used it for storage for items that wouldn’t get ruined by the environment down there. The space was dingy, musty and the remaining vapor barrier was covered in dirt and in some places, water. After seven years, the odors from the crawl space had begun to make their way into Thomas and Robyn’s living space in their home. Concerned about water damage and worsening odors, they gave Rainy Day Basement Systems a call searching for a long-term solution. 

Solution

We installed drainage trenching to fix the ground water leakage. The drainage pipe is installed in a filter fabric lined trench, it is also surrounded by gravel, this prevents silt and sediment from getting into the pipe and causing a clog. The drainage leads to the SmartSump, which we installed at the lowest point in the crawl space.  The SmartSump is equipped with a highly efficient Zoeller 1/3 hp cast iron pump with an automatic float switch. And its unique two-piece lid allows for an airtight lid with easy access.

We then isolated the space from the Earth below by encapsulating the crawl space in CleanSpace. CleanSpace is a highly durable crawl space lining consisting of seven layers, including an antimicrobial additive called UltraFresh, that greatly reduces the amount of humidity in the space. To further control the humidity in Thomas and Robyn’s crawl space, we installed a SaniDry CX Dehumidifier. The SaniDry CX is a fully automatic dehumidifier and has the power to remove up to 13 gallons of moisture from the air every day. 

Finally, we installed a LawnScape outlet. The outlet is a discrete buried discharge line that will release the unwanted water a safe distance from the home.