Island Basement Systems

This crawlspace had very high moisture levels, rim joist rot, excessive mould. We stopped the moisture problem, got rid of the mould, fixed the rotting issue and the homeowner now has a clean, dry and healthy crawlspace and home!

This crawlspace was a typical 1970s construction; concrete skim coat on top of a poorly install poly sheet, exterior vents, and the insulation was minimal at best. The rim joist cavities did not have any insulation, air barrier, or vapor barrier installed. The dampness wicking through the concrete skim coat was condensing on the cold rim joists, which resulted in them rotting out, getting moldy, and interfering with the smooth sale of this home. Island Basement Systems was called to provide a solution once the Home Inspector found the issues during the buyer's home inspection.

Our method of repair was to remediate the crawlspace to prevent this from happening again and to replace the rim joist with new materials.

CleanSpace encapsulation liner to provide a permanent ground seal, Elastochem Extreme closed cell spray foam insulation on the exterior walls, (closing off the passive vents too), new rim joist, and mechanical timed ventilation. Mission accomplished, and the crawlspace is now a conditioned space that is clean, dry, energy-efficient with good indoor air quality.

Before photo: the rotted rim joist.

After photo: this is actually the 'during' process where we replaced the rim joist. Don't let this happen to your home. Condition your crawlspace, and save energy, time, money, and a lot of stress!

This crawlspace was really nasty when we were called to fix it. Cold, wet, mouldy and lots of rotting wood. Our CleanSpace liner, SmartSump de-watering, and open cell spray foam insulation was the solution.

When we repair crawlspaces with our encapsulation and spray foam system, we always recommend that mechanical ventilation be installed. This can consist of something as simple as a small fan, a dehumidifier, or ideally, a Heat Recovery Ventilator. Island Basement Systems installs basic HRV systems, and we prefer to see them used as they provide whole home fresh-air exchange which significantly improves your indoor air quality (IAQ).

Crawl spaces are highly susceptible to mold, pests, and rot due to the high humidity and exposure to moist soils. Island Basement Systems installed a CleanSpace encapsulation system to trap out the excess humidity in the crawl space, resulting in a more efficient energy system and ventilation for the home.

Check out this Saltspring Island crawlspace! From rodent-infested, musty and just plain nasty to clean, energy efficient, dry and even pleasant to look at!

Exterior retrofit before/after:

This Prospect Lake home had a mould problem on the interior due to the poorly insulated walls. Every winter, condensation would form on the cold walls, leading to a pretty nasty mould issue. In 2009, the owner had enough and the house was retrofitted. To repair the home, the walls were retrofitted by removing the batt insulation from inside and adding R13 of open cell foam. Then we added an exterior layer of  R18 closed cell foam, along with a rain screen system and new Hardie Plank siding. Now the walls are R31 rated are completely air tight! The roof was re-insulated as well with an exterior layer of closed cell foam, and new sheathing and shingles to complete the package. A true deep retrofit that also score 84 on the EnerGuide rating.  

For this project, we started with the foundation repairs, and eventually solved the entire homes energy efficiency issues.

This home on SSI was an old cabin with the usual issues; cold floorts, rats, musty smells and rotting rim joists.

Our crawlspace remediation converts old crawlspaces into conditioned crawlspaces; warm, dry, energy efficient, and with much better indoor air quality too. Plus the owner can now use it as a viable storage area!

Our systems come with long term transferable warranties too, so if you're buying or selling your home, know that our crawlspace repair methods are the best on the Island.