Everything you need to know about crawl space waterproofing & encapsulation

1. Your crawl space starts with a hole being dug in the ground. If it were to rain, this hole would fill with water. This water would be from rain water, and oftentimes, from water up from the ground.
2. In the hole a concrete footing is poured. Once that’s dried, a concrete wall is built on the footing. The seam between the concrete footing and wall is never a perfect seal, and certainly not water tight.
3. Products applied on the outside of the walls (parging or a damp-proofing coating) to keep water out, also break down over time.
4. A 4” exterior drain tile is typically required by code – which is good. However, because it’s buried in the soil, it eventually becomes clogged, and there’s no practical way to unclog it.
5. The last step is to backfill soil around the walls to fill the hole back up. This loose soil becomes a “path of least resistance” for water to penetrate and accumulate around your foundation.

When your house was built, it started with a hole in the ground.

Once your exterior drain system starts to clog, water builds up around your foundation walls and hydrostatic pressure increases. This is called the clay bowl effect.

In five different ways, water forces its way through joints and small cracks and into your crawl space.

1. Water enters from the bottom, over the foundation footer
2. Water enters from the bottom, under the foundation footer. This water can enter from the footing/wall seam or from a rising water table.
3. Water enters through the walls from cracks and mortar joints where the exterior wall coating isn’t perfectly sealed.
4. Water and moisture bleed in or “sweat” through the walls. This is also caused by the failure of the exterior coating.
5. High humidity builds up in the crawl space from moisture entering through open vents, porous concrete walls, air gaps, and dirt floors.

Water entering your crawl space will cause more damage than simply getting things wet. Through evaporation and condensation, that water:

• Rusts and damages mechanical equipment such as HVAC units, water heaters, ductwork, and electrical equipment.
• Soaks into the wood framing of your home and especially the flooring system above the crawl space. This can cause wood rot and make wood more susceptible to mold growth.
• Weakens the floor system and causes sagging or warping of the floors above. It can cause the cupping of hardwood flooring.
• Creates conditions that are conducive to mold growth and spread.

1. Extending Downspouts
   Keeping your downspouts clear and draining water at least 8 feet from the foundation (past the “clay bowl” perimeter) is certainly a good idea. However, this only handles a small portion of the water – usually not enough to solve the problem.
2. Replacing the Exterior Drain System 
   Repairing or replacing the original exterior drain system requires excavating all around your foundation, digging up your driveway, porch, patio, landscaping and anything else in the way. Besides being the most expensive and disruptive option, you’re just replacing the original system that already failed once. It’s just a matter of time until it fails again. Exterior systems normally come with a limited one-year warranty.
3. Interior Footing Drain
   A footing drain with weep holes addresses water issues at the source, reducing or eliminating hydrostatic pressure, which stops water from forcing its way through cracks and joints. A footing drain directs water away from the foundation and prevents soil saturation – essential for a comprehensive, long-term waterproofing solution. Most footing drain systems include a sump well and sump pump to expel water that accumulates, especially during heavy rain weather events.

Some companies use flexible plastic tubes with non-replaceable filter sleeves. The challenge with these drain pipes is twofold. Flexible tubing is difficult to lay flat or slope, so water and mud tend to get trapped in the valleys. And filter sleeves, like all filters, eventually clog. These filters are non-replaceable, so the entire drain needs to be replaced when they do clog.

Our interior footer drain, Channel ‘58 is specially designed to handle the challenges of the crawl space. Channel ’58’s shape, material and sloped installation method create faster drainage and a self-cleaning drain channel. This keeps your crawl space prepared to handle even the heaviest of rains.

These are true lifetime solutions that come with a Life-of-Structure Warranty and the industry’s only Money-back Guarantee!

Your sump pump is the hardest-working part of your waterproofing system.

Make it a Workhorse!

As one of the highest-performing pumps on the market, the Workhorse offers you the best protection against flooding. This system includes the pump, liner, lid, discharge line and check valve. During installation, we even include a second discharge line for installation of a battery backup. That way, if you choose to add this at a later date, it will be a much easier (and cleaner) installation.

• Engineered exclusively for basement and crawl space waterproofing.
• 3,840 GPH (64 GPM) at 10 ft. of head pressure. Energy-efficient with premium pump construction.
• Drains more water (up to 2-times more!), handling heavier rainstorms and ensuring year-round protection.
• Deluxe control that monitors pump and power conditions, sounds an alarm when problems are detected – when water has reached the high-water sensor.
• Optional Wi-Fi capable for remote monitoring.
• Encased Dual Float – unique protective cage prevents jamming, entanglement, and debris from interfering with on/off float switches.
• Watertight Lid and Liner. The system comes complete with a perforated plastic liner to drain water while protecting the pumps, and a Radon-safe, air-tight lid. (i) The lid keeps objects and debris from falling into the liner that can clog or jam the pump. The lid also prevents damp, musty odors from coming out of the liner and up into your home.
• Limited 3-year warranty, which protects your investment and increases the value of your home.

Moisture and humidity in your crawl space can lead to the growth of dangerous mold and its spores that can become airborne and flow straight upstairs. Meanwhile, air and water coming from cracks and crawl space air vents cause a differential in air temperature between the crawl space and the rest of your home, this is called the stack effect and will create energy inefficiencies that cause your HVAC bills to skyrocket.

High moisture levels in your crawl space will cause more damage than simply getting things wet. Through evaporation and condensation, that water:

• Rusts and damages mechanical equipment such as HVAC units, water heaters, ductwork, and electrical equipment.
• Soaks into the wood framing of your home and especially the flooring system above the crawl space.
• This can cause wood rot and make wood more susceptible to mold growth.
• Weakens the floor system and causes sagging or warping of the floors above. It can cause the cupping of hardwood flooring.
• Creates conditions that are conducive to mold growth and spread.

These moisture problems caused by your crawl space don’t stay in the crawl space. They drift upstairs as air rises in your house.

The stack effect acts like a chimney. It brings moisture, gases, odors and mold spores up into the living space, making the upstairs less comfortable and less healthy. In fact, as much as 50% of the air we breathe in the home comes through the crawl space. By sealing the vents along with cracks and leaks through which water, air and gasses can flow, encapsulation reduces the stack effect by separating the soil and unhealthy conditions below the vapor barrier. This makes the air that does rise into your living space much healthier.

6 steps to a healthy crawl space

1. Removing Organic MaterialCrawl spaces are notorious as the place where extra building materials got tossed. Extra wood, old or fallen insulation, spare pipes or parts, extra concrete blocks. The organic material – wood, cardboard, insulation, etc. – has to be removed because it acts as mold food.
2. Treating for MoldIf you reduce the moisture and relative humidity to low enough levels, mold will go dormant. But if moisture levels rise for whatever reason, the mold will come back. Many companies will encapsulate and not remove the mold. Remove the mold now. It will look nicer, feel healthier, and you’ll sleep easier.
3. Controlling Ground WaterIf you have groundwater leaks or standing water, put in a system to drain this away and keep it away. Channel ’58 for Crawl Spaces is the best and only option available that handles water without a filter that is susceptible to clogging.
4. Sealing off Earth’s MoistureThe ’58 Crawl Space Encapsulation Liner comes in two versions – Essential and Elite. Both seal off moisture vapor from rising up through the earth and into your crawl space. Our Elite option – a heavy-duty 20-mil nylon-reinforced liner – is perfect for higher trafficked crawl spaces. If you want to use the space for storage or have mechanicals that require access, go with the Elite. Our light-duty but moisture-effective Essential system is 14-mils thick.

   The option for additional drainage matting is available for both Essential and Elite liners. Drainage matting allows for any water movement to more easily reach a perimeter drain channel. It’s also like a cushion under the liner. So, if you plan on frequent access to your crawl space, consider adding the drainage matting and your knees will thank you!

5. Sealing Off Outside AirFirst, with our Insulated Foam Inserts we seal the vents. Then with either our Essential or Elite wall products, we seal out the moisture that comes through the porous concrete walls. The Elite liner is a tougher 90-mil liner and has higher insulating qualities – again, great for crawl spaces with people moving in and out of them.
6. Controlling HumidityLast but certainly not least is lowering the relative humidity below ranges where mold can grow. ‘58’s HumidiGuard™ dehumidification and air filtration system is specially designed for the harsh crawl space environment. It’s self-draining and a closed oil system so the only maintenance it requires is a quick wash slide-in filter every six months. And because 50% of the air in your upstairs comes from your crawl space, this dehumidified and filtered air is going to make your whole home healthier and more comfortable.

Crawl space waterproofing and crawl space encapsulation are not exclusive of each other. If your crawl space has groundwater leaks, it needs a waterproofing system. While almost all crawl spaces need an encapsulation system to make them healthy, only those with leaking groundwater also need a waterproofing system. The choice, of course, is always yours on what repairs you want to make.