TerraFirma serving Washington, OR

Basic home science states that air enters from the bottom of the home and leaves from the top. Now lets think about this for a minute. For a home who's crawl space is not encapsulated during the winter, (When you want your house to stay warm) cold air enters though the bottom and all your warm air is leaving through the top, wasting energy. During the summer (when you want your house to stay cool) warm air enters your home through the bottom and cool are leaves through the top. Quite the opposite of what you would want. Encapsulating your crawl space and closing off the vents achieves this goal.

Ryan Lahley proposed a complete crawl space encapsulation system to help with this issue. A combination of products were installed to condition the crawl space making this home an energy efficient machine: Cleanspace to provide a barrier between the cold damp ground and the crawl space air, SilverGlo wall insulation to reflect conditioned air back into the home, vent covers to block off all outside air, a sump pump for excess water removal and a dehumidifying unit to condition the air within the crawl space. All of these products play a key role in crawl space conditioning. now after installation, the winters stay warmer, the summers cooler and the energy expenses regulated.

This Beaverton, OR homeowner had recently noticed three interesting observations within her home. The heavy rain definitely added to this issue as water was flooding into the crawl space. the symptoms she had noticed was her home was consistently colder which in turn caused her energy bills to sky rocket. The third issue she noticed was a musky smell throughout the first floor of her home. The energy bills she could deal with, but the musky smell she saw as a major problem and had our team inspect her crawl space. 

Our System Design Specialist discovered that the dirt crawl space was more of a swimming pool than a crawl space. There was standing water everywhere, which caused the ceiling insulation to sag. This made her home colder driving up energy bills. The moldy smell had come from the elevated levels of humidity within the crawl space which lead to mold development. A crawlspace encapsulating system was installed to cure the ailments. 

There were four main components to this system. Cleanspace liner created a barrier between the cold, wet earth and the air inside the crawl space. A drainage system was installed to collect water and a sump pump to remove the water. Lastly, a dehumidifying unit was installed to cure the air and eliminate the development of mold.

During times in the northwest when it just doesn't seem to stop raining (which is somewhere between 8 and 9 months of the year), do you every worry that your crawl space or basement is improperly waterproofed and water is seeping into your home? A little water won't hurt, but a lot can be detrimental to you, your family and your home's overall health.

Chris A. from Hillsboro, Oregon was experiencing some leakage in the crawl space and is concerned about the long term affects it might have. As this trend continues, you get standing water in the crawl space, which can lead to high levels of humidity and temperature. This will not only rot away at the wooden beams under your home, but can also lead to mold development which become airborne and breathed in by you and your family. 

Chris did the right thing and didn't hesitate to call us for help. By installing an effective drainage system leading to a sump pump for removal and a new 10ml vapor barrier, Chris can now be worry free that he is keeping the family healthy and restoring the value and health to the home.

    Franz S. of Beaverton, OR has been noticing symptoms throughout the house that would lead him to needing some form of crawl space repair. Energy bills were higher than usual through the winter months; However, the floors and carpet were still cold. Also, a faint moldy smell was circulating through the first level of the home. Through an online search for answers, he discovered there were issues in his crawl space. After calling TerraFirma for a free estimate, we sent someone out asap to assess his condition and solve his problems.

    System Design Specialist, Ryan Lahley, took a closer look in to the crawl space and found 2 major problems: There were no systems or products in place for solving groundwater seepage, (the reason for the moldy smell) and the ceiling insulation was sagging in combination to no wall insulation. Ryan's system was simple, install drain tile and a sump pump to efficiently collect and remove water, as well as SilverGlo wall and rim joist insulation to help keep the home warmer, helping drive energy bills down. 

    Franz now enjoys the cleanliness of air for him and his family, and the added comfort, all of which is a product of crawl space conditioning.

    Not having any form of waterproofing or moisture protection in your basement or crawl space can be problematic, especially in the Northwest. to make matters worse, these Beaverton, OR homeowners had bad exterior drain lines and gutter system, so water would accumulate around the foundation and leak into the crawl space. After seeing a commercial on TV for TerraFirma, Keith and Ann knew exactly who to call with their moisture issues.

    The solution was quite simple, and would serve great dividends long term. First things first, fix the flooding down spouts and poor drain lines. This will make a huge difference in redirecting water away from the foundation rather than having it pool up beside. By installing a perimeter waterproofing system in the crawl space along with a sump pump for water removal, Keith and Ann can be confident that their basement will stay dry all the time, eliminating potential moisture mayhem and foundation fouls. 

    In Beaverton, OR, home owner Joel K. had three areas of concern around his home and called us to have a look at his situation. The front covered patio, back patio and a walkway had settled and were now cracked and slanted. A very unsightly feature of his home that he wanted fixed. After an inspection by Adam Lounsbury, TerraFirma Concrete Leveling was the advised solution.

    Our concrete leveling solution is a light weight polyurethane that is designed to provide support to sinking slabs above while adding little-to-no load to the soils below. After drilling a hole in the sinking slab to expose the void, polyurethane foam is injected. It expands and fills the void evenly achieving uniform and calculated lift to the slab. In just a few short hours, Joel's slabs are leveled, the project site is cleaned and looking beautiful again.

    Sherwood, OR home owner Doug K. had some unexpected visitors and has for quite some time. Mice have infested his crawl space, entering through the garage, chewing away at the insulation around piping and nesting in the ceiling insulation. After searching online for a company that could help him with his visiting varmints, Doug called TerraFirma to help.

    To vacate the unwanted company, a complete crawl space encapsulation system was proposed by System Design Specialist Kevin Miller. By isolation the house from the earth with Cleanspace, insulating the walls, and blocking off vents, there is now zero way any mouse can get in or out of the area.

    In completing Doug's encapsulation project, the mice are nowhere to be seen, and he enjoys the added benefits of encapsulation including lower energy bills, less energy consumption, cleaner air circulation and added comfort.