Healthy Spaces

Crawlspace entries are about as unsightly as can be, especially on a lovely brick home.  There's just no good way to disguise that piece of plywood or sheet metal tacked over the opening.  In fact, many homes have access wells around the entry door and that draws even more attention to the space.  

The Healthy Spaces team helped this Boonville, KY homeowner with their crawlspace entry by removing the rusting access well and installing a durable Turtl crawlspace entry door.  Besides creating a feature that blends in with the earth tones of the home, the Turtl is also able to be locked securely from the outside.  It's rugged plastic exterior won't fade, warp or crack either.  Now, instead of dealing with a drafty and unsecured crawlspace, the homeowners have the latest in crawlspace entry security and aesthetic appeal!

Crawlspace access wells are ugly and deteriorated! They let in rain, groundwater, debris, critters, and all manner of disgusting stuff. The homeowners of this home were tired of the seasonal water intrusion and the resulting mold and mildrew problems inherent in a flooded crawlspace.

Here is the same crawlspace with a Turtl crawlspace access door installed. The Turtl crawlspace door is airtight and able to be secured. They are designed to make for a safer and easier access without sharp edges. They are durable and much more appealing aesthetically.

These Shepherdsville homeowners have stated that with the Turtl door combined with a CleanSpace crawlspace encapsulation system has created a crawlspace that is dry all the time, absent of critters, and cleaner and brighter than ever!

This Shepherdsville, KY basement was experiencing flooding while a new Waterguard system was being installed. In order to keep the basement from fully flooding, the installation crew left the existing sump pump in place while completing the installation. In the first image, you can see the old sump pump had some definite design flaws. First, the sump pump discharge lines are bent, slowing the evacuation of water from the basement. Second, there isn't an airtight lid, which has lead to an increased relative humidity and higher risk of mold. The new Super Sump Pump system that you can see installed in the second image, has a straight discharge line, a powerful pump, and an airtight lid. Now that the new sump pump is in place, the old pump will be removed and the hold filled in.

We have now determined that a vented crawlspace is a bad idea. Initially, it was assumed that the vents would act like car windows and one vent would allow in fresh outdoor air and the vent on the opposite wall would let the air out, but air pressure laws preclude this from happening. Air pressure in a home makes the vents perform more like a chimney. All vents suck in air and force it upward through the home. This is called the stack effect. The rising air brings with it all the mold, mildew, dust, and allergens and disburses it throughout the home before the air leaves out the highest level.

This stack effect reduces the energy efficiency of the home and can drastically decrease the lifespan of your HVAC system, while increasing your heating and cooling bills.

Cleanspace vent covers go over the old, inefficient vent covers and leaves a clean looking finish that will seal off the outside air completely. 

Humidity is a common problem for many crawl spaces when the crawl space barrier is compromised by outside air. A family in Hardinsburg, KY, became concerned when a few mold spores grew on the beams inside the crawl space because of the humidity. Mold loves humidity and will lie dormant on any organic surface for many years. It is not the air that triggers mold growth, but the moisture level on the surface of, for example, a wooden beam or drywall. To keep the family safe from future health effects, dry air had to be created.

Any physical areas that were affected by mold were scrubbed away and taken care of through mold remediation. To fix the overall problem, a bright white liner is spread throughout the crawlspace and then taped down securely. The liner is known as CleanSpace and is effective at being tear-resistant and preventing mold because of its safe and odorless antimicrobial additive. Since CleanSpace protects the crawl space, outside air cannot pass in and create the humid atmospheric state it was in before. Once the crawl space was completed, the family was relieved to know that mold will never be a nuisance in their crawlspace again.

"Our basement was a waste of square footage!  With growing kids, I needed somewhere for them to hang out with their friends that wasn't right on top of each other.  We decided to finish the basement".

This is a common situation for many homeowners in the Fort Knox area.  Basements tend to be damp, moldy, and smelly.  Thankfully, they don't have to stay that way!  Healthy Spaces can transform an ugly waste of space into a beautiful addition to your home.  

In this case, the homeowners had the basement stripped down, treated for mold and fungus, then elected to have Zen Wall panels installed because they will not mold or deteriorate.  They also installed a Waterguard system to direct wall moisture and ground water into a sump pump system and discharge system for removal.  The basement will be a cleaner, healthier place for the kids to hang out!

This Central CIty, KY crawlspace was experiencing seasonal flooding, mold growth, and poor energy efficiency.  The homeowners had been looking for a permenant solution to the flooding and mold issues.  They knew that unless they could reduce the relative humidity, remove the excess groundwater from the crawlspace, and isolate their home from outside humidity.  The best solution is to use a waterproofing drainage system with powerful sump pump and overlay the system with CleanSpace.

CleanSpace is a rugged, multi-layer plastic liner, similar to a pool liner.  It is guaranteed against rips, tears, and water on top of the liner when installed with a drainage system for 25 years.  In fact, CleanSpace is so durable that pests can't pentrate it and it's safe to climb over and use for proper storage.  

CleanSpace is an engineered film--blue on one side and white on the other.  The white side reflects the crawlspace light to brighten the area and make it easier to see what you're storing.  

We've all seen the usual crawlspace door--plywood, old palettes, or scrap wood nailed together to cover the crawlspace opening. Even if the cover is painted or covered in shingles, it's usually warped and degraded by the sun. The metal hinges are usually rusted and in many cases, the hinges have pulled out of the siding. These old crawlspace doors lead to many problems besides just being ugly; they also allow pests, mold spores, and moisture into your home. Since these doors are not airtight, cold winter air will enter creating energy efficiency issues and increasing your heating bills.

Healthy Spaces offers several access door options to their homeowners. These are made entirely out of plastics and foams. Once installed, they create an airtight, waterproof seal between your crawl space and the cold or humid air outside.

This new crawl space doors is called a Turtl. It is constructed of rugged, durable plastic. It can be secured from the outside and it will not warp or fade in the sun. A Turtl is inexpensive, easy to install, and keep your home looking great!

Really long lasting sump pumps are hard to find on your own, which can mean that you're replacing pumps frequently, or you're dealing with pump failure and the resulting flooding. These homeowners had dealt with both issues and felt that it was time to get a professional quality, long lasting pump with a warranty. The Basement Systems Super Sump is a cast-iron sump pump with the longest-lasting battery backup pump in the industry. The pump is constructed of a rigid durable plastic that is designed to house a sump pump and will not mold or bend. It's an all in one number--an existing pump basket, a durable lid, and quality components. The homeowner said, "I was really impressed with the [Zoeller] pump that Healthy Spaces installed. The waterproofing system is top notch and I feel like I can rely on this pump."

Most homes in Bradenburg, KY are built over dirt crawlspaces.  Due to the nature of the construction, it leaves those crawlspaces open to groundwater intrusion and flooding.  The flooding and increased relative humidity results in mold and fungus growth, smelly crawlspaces, and unhealthy homes.  The best way to combat all of this is to have the crawlspace treated for mold and fungus and a high quality vapor barrier installed.  The best vapor barrier on the market is CleanSpace.  It's composed of seven layers of plastics including a plastic mesh to prevent tearing, ripping, and deterioration.  CleanSpace has been compared to swimming pool liners for it's ability to block leaks and keep water where you want it--out of your crawlspace.  

In these pictures, you can see the exposed dirt floor has been leveled and CleanSpace has been installed along the walls and floor to keep groundwater out!