Water Causing a Weak Foundation in Jonesboro AR
Challenge
This customer called us and explained that the crawl space under the living room and dining room of the home was leaking. They wanted the leak to be stopped and all of the water that was in the crawl space to be dried out. They did not want this problem to come up again. Upon inspection of the crawl space, Justin found that the leak was causing the wood support beams to deteriorate, causing the floor to start to sag. The beams that had water damage also had mold growing on them. This is dangerous to the homeowner's health.
He also found that there was standing water in different areas of the crawl space. This water had nowhere to escape the crawl space. This is a problem because the moisture that evaporates from the water raises the overall humidity in the crawl space. This high humidity is what causes the mold, mildew, and rot. The humidity can also venture in the living space of the home that can affect the overall humidity of the home creating an environment for dust mites and mold to grow. This homeowner was starting to see some of these signs and wanted the problem solved before someone living in the home became ill.
Solution
To solve the problems under this home we had to start by removing the fallen insulation and debris that was under the home. The insulation under the home when there is a water leak becomes wet and falls out and is a prime place for mold and mildew to grow. The crew also had to grade out the crawl space so the water had somewhere to go. They also had to replace the beams that had mold growing on them and were beginning to fall apart. The crew also installed smart jacks, these are steel piers that are used to hold up the beams and these are necessary to ensure that the floor is not sagging.
To solve the humidity problem under the home the crew installed drainage matting and CleanSpace. These two products give the water somewhere to escape and keep the moisture under the CleanSpace and not letting it affect the rest of the crawl space. We also installed a SmartSump to pump the water out the crawl space. We also installed a SaniDry dehumidifier to lower the overall humidity in the crawl space. To prevent this problem from reoccurring we covered the crawl space vents so the outside air and moisture does not come in the crawl space.
