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Most Popular Thickness
12 Mil DrySpace™
The 12 Mil DrySpace™ is by
far our most popular crawl space vapor barrier due to the all around versatility for light
storage and superior moisture protection.
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Spray Foam Insulation
Where NOT to use it -
Closed cell spray foam is a great product for sealing out every little air
leak. But, it will hinder your ability to inspect the structure if it is
installed in the rim (band) joist area of the crawl space. This issue will come
into play when selling a home or getting a termite inspection.
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Mold and Mildew
Quick Facts -
- Mold can only be identified under a microscope
- There are more than 100,000 different kinds of Mold
- Bleach is
NOT recommended to kill Mold on porous surfaces
like wood
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Install Tips & Information
A Closer Look at the Encapsulation Material
- DrySpace™ - This is the vapor
barrier that will seal out the
dirt, odor & moisture
- Foundation Seal Tape™ - This
tape is used on the foundation
wall to secure the DrySpace™. The
walls have to be dry and clean
in order for this product to
work properly.
- Waterproof Seam Tape™ - This
tape is used to seal the seams
in the DrySpace™.
- Foundation Pins - This is
the white plastic fastening pins
used to hold the DrySpace™ in
place permanently
- Drain Tile - This is the
tube (tile) that directs water
to the sump basin. It is
installed on the inside of the
crawlspace and is 4" in diameter
and flexible.
- Sump pump - This is the pump
that removes water from the
crawl space and is installed
inside the sump basin
- Sump basin - This is a basin
(or tub) that captures the water
from the drain tile as well as
water standing in the crawl
space.
- Drainage stone - This is pea
stone (or other small rock
without sharp edges) used to
filter the dirt out of the water
before it reaches the sump
basin. Use drainage stone around
the sump basin and around the
drain tile.
Crawl Space Inspection
Crawl Space Access- The access to the crawl space will determine a few
things-
- Comfort in getting in and
out (which you will be doing a
lot of during the repair
process)
- Ease or difficulty in
getting the material into the
crawl space
- IF outside, the amount of
dirt/mud that will end up on top
of the DrySpace™ after the
install
- IF inside, the amount of
dirt/mud that will end up in
your home if not properly
protected
Head Height
- Obviously this is an
important factor in the ease of
the job
- If the height is less that
18" your job will be extremely
difficult if not impossible
- Beware of heat ducts, they
have sharp edges
- The lower the head height
the more physically demanding
the job will be
Health & Safety Precautions
- Wear a good quality
respirator- this will be
uncomfortable but will protect
your lungs from dust, mold
spores, fiberglass, and
bacterial in the air
- Do not work in standing
water- It could be contaminated
and make you sick or it could be
an electrical shock hazard
- Be cautious not to over heat
if installing in the summer -
Drink lots of water
- Keep a look out for
electrical wires lying on the
ground - If they are bare then
you may want to call an
electrician
Foundation Conditions
Supports and Obstructions
- Take a look around the crawl
space for water tanks, a furnace
or other objects that need to be
worked around. If you take
pictures of these we can help
guide you with how to handle
them
- Supports that hold up your
home will need to be worked
around as well
Insulation
- Wet insulation must come
out, this is the most common
reason fiberglass insulation
falls from the crawl space
ceiling
- If you have an odor problem
then the existing insulation
must come out in order to fully
extinguish the problem
- New insulation at the rim
(or band) joist will help keep
your heating bills down as well
as insure you have evicted any
rodents living there
- Depending on your location
and amount of foundation wall
above grade you may want to
install rigid insulation on the
foundation walls
- Check your
local energy or building code
for the most accurate
information on insulating a
crawl space in your state
Foundation Vents
- To completely control the
moisture in the crawl space the
vents MUST be closed permanently
- An 8" x 16" concrete block
will fit nicely into the vent
cavity. Use a concrete caulk to
seal the edges of the block.
- If that is not an option,
you can use rigid foam
insulation to seal the vent from
the inside. CAUTION- Mice and
other rodents can chew through
the foam insulation so only use
this option of all else fails
Water Control
- Have you ever had water in your crawl space?
Unless you
look in your crawl space at
least twice a week, every week
you cannot be accurate in
answering this questing. It is
safer, easier and cheaper to add
a drain system BEFORE the
encapsulation. You don't want to
find out there is a problem once
you have a swimming pool under
all of your hard work
Crawl Space Measurements
- Take accurate measurements,
this will save you a monetary
heartache later
- You will need the length of
ALL the walls, no not estimate
- You will need the height of
all the walls or the height of
the tallest wall
- You will need to know how
many supports there are and how
far from the walls
- You will need to know how
many foundation vents you have
Tools
- Respirator
- Utility knife with many blades (10-25 on average)
- Lights - 250 watt works well. 500 watt are very hot and can melt the
DrySpace™
- Extension cords
- 7/16 socket for sump basin lid
- Hammer drill for the
Foundation Pins- not a drill
with a hammer feature, this is
important so you do not damage
your foundation and/or work
harder than you need to.
Other
companies say that mechanical
fasteners are not needed - This
information is WRONG. Every
professional company uses a
mechanical fastener, if this
step could be skipped we would
skip it ourselves
- Small shovels
- Small pick- for digging hard
earth
- Reciprocating saw- cut PVC for sump and cutting roots
- Hammer - to tap in Foundation Pins™
- PVC glue- Plumbing sump pump Not CPVC glue they are different, make
sure you check
- Tape Measure
- Small hand brooms - prepping walls for Foundation Seal Tape™
and clean up
- Wire hangers or zip ties for cables or phone lines that hang down or
touch the ground
- Flashlight
- Garbage Bags
Conclusion
Most jobs for a beginner will take about 2 - 3 days to complete depending
on how many people are helping. If you are located in Michigan, Northern
Ohio or Northern Indiana we offer onsite assistance to help you complete
your project. We also are able to assist you of you are located outside our
service area, please contact us to explore the options Toll Free
877.379.7658
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