Stabilizing Floors in Wilmington, NC

Wednesday, March 28th, 2018 by Mary White

Challenge

Michael, of Wilmington, NC, had experienced some moisture issues in his home recently, and had concerns about his crawl space. After feeling some inconsistencies in his interior flooring, he ventured outside to take a look. Not only were his fears confirmed about the condition of his crawl space, but he also noticed that the corner of his home seemed to be sinking. He decided to give us a call at Southeast Foundation and Crawl Space Repair to request an estimate.

Graham from Southeast Foundation & Crawl Space Repair inspected the home. Graham noted many of the issues previously identified by the homeowner, such as the interior floors which looked to be sagging, as well as the crawl space which was damp, in need of encapsulation, and full of debris. He then saw that the home’s floor joists were beginning to break down, and the damp crawl space had become a haven for insects as well. This is something that Graham had seen in many homes, but the good news was that Team Southeast had many solutions to problems such as these. To fully protect the home, it would call for providing stabilization, as well as installing our industry-leading crawl space encapsulation system.

Solution

Team Southeast arrived and began to prep the area for the project. After carefully removing crawl space debris and raking and leveling the area, it was then time to address the mold situation. It was also important to remove any mold contamination, so the team applied Mold-X2 to all joists and beams. Team Southeast uses Mold-X2, a powerful cleaning agent, to remove mold stains in less than 20 seconds.

Before any work could be done on the crawl space environment, it was important to first address the problem with Michael’s floors. Graham had previously identified two specific locations where our Smart Jack technology should be installed, and it was time for Team Southeast to complete it. Our Smart Jack System from Supportworks stabilizes and lifts a home’s existing floor joists and beams. Sometimes, if existing joists are rotted or full of moisture, it may be necessary to install steel girders to complement the Smart Jacks. As this homeowner had noted, many of the home’s floor joists were heavy with moisture and deteriorated, so several sections of steel were added to add further support of the home’s weight once transferred to the beams and Smart Jacks themselves.

Then it was time to transition into protecting the crawl space itself. First, we installed our SmartSump, a pump that collects and contains crawl space moisture. Next, the team installed a discharge line to transport water out of the crawl space, and a lawnscape outlet in the yard away from the home, where water would be directed. Then, we had to seal off the crawl space from the earth, by addressing the floors and walls of the crawl space, which had been allowing unwanted moisture and air in, creating a drafty and damp environment. Team Southeast sealed all crawl space vents, allowing our dehumidifier to better control the relative humidity, without the interference of outside air and moisture. We then insulated the crawl space walls with SilverGlo, another superior performance patented product. With its graphite infused interior and its outer radiant barrier, heat is continuously reflected back into the crawlspace, saving our customers money. This would stop the transfer of moisture into Michael’s crawl space from the surrounding walls.

Team Southeast then installed polyethylene drainage matting, for directing water to our SmartSump system. The 10mil-thick CleanSpace liner was installed, creating a thick white barrier between the earth and Michael’s crawl space. This barrier will help seal out moisture, which in turn guards against future mold and rot. Each pier support underneath the home was also wrapped in CleanSpace and sealed.

Finally, not only did we need to block moisture in Michael’s crawl space, but we also needed to control the relative humidity. By installing our high-efficiency Sani-Dry Sedona dehumidifier, we can ensure that the humidity of the crawl space stays at a controlled level, preventing mold growth and continuously keeping the area dry and free from problem-causing moisture.

After the team finished the encapsulation, they inspected the work to ensure it was completed thoroughly. Then, after the work space was clean and tidy, the job was complete. Michael was happy that his floors were now secured, and his crawl space, finally protected. Now Michael has the peace of mind that his home will not only be safer, but also a healthier place to live for many years to come.