Case Study: Greensboro, NC
Challenge
Mike’s new home located within the beautiful Grandover properties of Greensboro was in need of some major renovations before he moved in. A musty, basement smell permeated every room of the home so a major mold problem was suspected. The home’s multilevel crawlspace was also a humid area posing an erosion risk. In the crawlspace, a support system had to be designed to keep the soil from eroding before any other solutions could be installed. The source of the water in the finished basement seemed to be the fireplace wall, and could not be found without taking some dry wall out and inspecting the area. This home’s moisture problems were located both in the finished basement and the multilevel crawlspace, making this a very unique and complicated project.
Solution
Systems design specialist Will Blake suggested a mixture of solutions. Foreman Adam Blake and his crew installed each of them over a period of 5 days. In the basement, a BasementGutter basement waterproofing system would be installed across the entire fireplace wall, around the fireplace itself, and extend into a neighboring room. The moulding and carpet had to be pulled away in order to find where the water was coming through. Mold could be seen on the baseboards behind the moulding near the fireplace so the source of the water could be pinpointed at that spot. The 55 feet of BasementGutter french drain, placed on top of the footer of the home, will collect any water coming from the walls and whisk it out of the home. Four IntelliJacks were also installed in certain areas of the basement to keep any gaps tightly closed.
In the crawlspace, many more solutions had to be developed. In order to keep the upper level of the crawlspace dirt from falling onto the future sump pump and dehumidifier, a support wall made of corrugated metal was installed before anything else. After that, 54 feet of CrawlDrain was laid out and the SafeDri triple sump pump was put in place. The FreezeGuard feature was included to keep the pump working through the winter months. 870 square feet of Delta drainage matting and CrawlSeal vapor barrier were then installed to cover every inch of dirt and much of the walls. This will keep any soil moisture from entering the crawlspace environment. A Tar Heel dehumidifier was then installed to finish up the crawlspace. It will take any moisture out of the crawlspace air and filter out any impurities. This combination of solutions made such a big difference that Mike, the homeowner, noticed a difference one day after the job was finished. The musty smell is now gone and the home is noticeably more comfortable thanks to Tar Heel Basement Systems.
Project Summary
Installing Contractor: Tar Heel Basement Systems
Systems Design Specialist: Will Blake
Foreman: Adam Blake
