John’s Waterproofing delivers the health benefits of a clean, dry crawl space.
It started for the husband first: coughing, shortness of breath and a feeling of perpetual illness. He went to the doctor, but the cause remained elusive.
Then the ailments came for the wife, too.
Frustrated with the lack of a diagnosis and still struggling to get healthy after more than a year, the couple began researching online and kept coming back to one very likely culprit: the dirty, damp crawl space that runs beneath their home. So they turned to John’s Waterproofing, a specialist in basement waterproofing, crawl space encapsulating and similar services for over 50 years.
“Crawl spaces can carry unhealthy, harmful air into a home,” says Jessica Dingle, director of marketing for John’s Waterproofing. “A medley of health issues can occur when moisture is in the crawl space. The owners decided it was worth a try to encapsulate the space if it meant getting to enjoy their retirement together and be healthy.”
Sure enough, the team from John’s found bad signs in the crawl space, from displaced and damp insulation to a dirty vapor barrier and evidence of moisture and critters. The solution: a crawl space encapsulation. The project included a drain system with a sump pump, a vapor barrier to block moisture, a layer of ¾-inch TerraBlock insulation, spray foam insulation and a dehumidifier.
John’s takes encapsulation to another level with a process based on half a century in the business. The team often jacks up the home where needed to ensure that the vapor barrier gets in between the wooden posts and their footings. Many contractors, Dingle says, will just cut the vapor barrier around the posts.
“We install our vapor barrier to go between the footing and wooden posts,” she says. “This ensures moisture can’t crawl through the wood into your crawl space. We also use shingling to layer the products in to ensure water won’t get trapped in the space.”
The couple referenced above just had their crawl space project completed this spring, but Dingle says many clients have provided feedback to John’s extolling the health benefits of their sealed-up crawl spaces. One woman had experienced chest congestion to the point she needed not one but two inhalers. She also began smelling mold and mildew throughout the house. But after John’s Waterproofing worked its magic, the situation—and her health—improved.
“It’s been a year and a half since we had the work done, and I am free from using either inhaler as I can breathe free and clear now,” she wrote to the company. “We have already reaped rewards health-wise from having this done.”
Another customer was dealing with stiff and painful joints in a cold home caused by the failure of old insulation in her crawl space. John’s took care of that, and she reported feeling better within days.
Dingle says a lot of crawl spaces may be out of sight and out of mind, but sealing them up and keeping them dry can go a long way in improving quality of life.
“Home health is important,” she says. “Even if you don’t have an issue going on under your home, proactive work can save you money in the long run and protect your family.”
