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A wet crawlspace in Portland, Oregon is something that I see often.  Sure, it is my job to inspect homes and provide estimates for all things crawlspace related, but still, water is common.  We live in an area that experiences a lot of rain (you know this) and the amount of water that pools and accumulates underneath a home can be substantial.  So, the question is, how bad is it for a home to have water in a crawlspace? First, it is important to understand why homes often have water pooling underneath.  Water in the crawlspace is usually from either Surface water or groundwater.  Surface water gets into the crawlspace usually as a result of the slope or grade of the property.  If the property slopes towards the home, water can often get into the crawlspace via the foundation vent screens.  In situations where surface water is getting into the home, we generally will do exterior drainage work and address the grade to prevent water from getting in. Groundwater is different.  This is water that gets into the crawlspace because of a rising water table.  This can effect homes on a perfectly flat lot, a sloped lot or anything in between.  Some homes can have groundwater all year long, while others just have it seasonally.  Either way, it is something that should be addressed. Homes with groundwater issues are generally in areas where the soil has a high clay content.  In our area, we have noticed that homes in Beaverton, Northwest Portland and Battle Ground, Washington are notoriously high in clay and have a higher likelihood of having water.  However, there are all kinds of pockets throughout Portland, Oregon and Vancouver, Washington where crawlspace drainage issues exist. So, is it bad to have water in my crawlspace? The short answer is “yes”, but it is a matter of degree.  A little bit of pooling in your crawlspace seasonally is not going to cause significant damages to your home over a short period of time.  Over a long period of time, it is possible for the moisture in the crawlspace to cause mold growth on your wood posts and joists. Significant water pooling in the crawlspace (anything over a couple of inches) is a different story.  Once water levels rise above the concrete post pads and reach the structural posts, this can cause significant problems that might include the replacement of posts or other structural supports.  Obviously, the high level of moisture greatly increases the chances of mold growth as well. How do I get rid of water in my crawlspace? Getting water out of a crawlspace usually involves a sump pump and french drains.  This kind of project is very difficult work and not easy for the DIY weekend warrior to take on themselves.  However, New Leaf Crawlspace Solutions is glad to help.  We can provide a free inspection and estimate to let you know how we can address your drainage issue.  We also offer financing options as well.  Please call us today to see how we can help. Posted onDecember 21st, 2022byNew Leaf Crawl Space Is Water In My Crawlspace Bad? Tags

Most homes in the Portland area have a crawlspace and in just about every crawlspace, you will find a vapor barrier.  A vapor barrier is the black, white or clear plastic that covers the ground.  This protective plastic layer is meant to stop the moisture in the damp crawlspace soil from rising up into the subfloor, which can cause mold and/or wood rot.  Unfortunately, these protective barriers can become damaged or contaminated over time and require replacement.  Depending on your crawlspace, replacing a vapor barrier can be fairly difficult and it is important to know the correct way to get the job done. How do vapor barriers get damaged? Sometimes the vapor barrier gets damaged from contractors (or the home owner) crawling around and disrupting it.  Other times the barrier gets contaminated from animals such raccoons, opossums or rodents.  Sometimes a crawlspace simply has no vapor barrier at all.  All of these would be good reasons to look into having a new one installed. How do you install a vapor barrier? First, you have to decide the thickness and style of the barrier you want to put down.  The code for the Portland and Vancouver area is a thickness of 6 mil and black in color.  A lot of older homes have a clear barrier and this falls below the current code requirements.  A white vapor barrier is usually a thicker product and is usually a thickness between 10 mil and 20 mil.  The cost of this thicker barrier is significantly higher, but in my opinion a 6 mil vapor barrier should be fine in almost any situation. To install, you will need to first remove the existing vapor barrier by cutting it into the strips that can be rolled up, bagged and removed.  This is especially important if you have a contaminated vapor barrier so that you roll up and contain the contaminated area.  You will then need to roll out the vapor barrier between a row of concrete pier pads or pony walls.  Once you have cut the end of the roll, you can start unfolding it.  You will will need to make a vertical cut along the foundation posts and drape the plastic over both sides of the pier pads.  This process is repeated for each row.  You should ensure that you have a 12 inch overlap along all of the seams and leave 12 inches of overlap along the foundation wall.  Once you have all this down, you will just need to smooth it out and stretch it. How much does it cost to have New Leaf install a vapor barrier? This process can be fairly difficult, especially if you have a crawlspace that is on the tighter side.  So, you might be asking how much does it cost to have a vapor barrier replaced in the Portland, Oregon area?  The price can vary depending on how tight the space is and how many posts there are to cut around, but as a general rule of thumb, somewhere about a $1 per square foot should get you in the ballpark.  If doing this project yourself sounds like a bit more than you want to take on, please give New Leaf a call.  We would be happy to set up a free inspection and estimate to get your vapor barrier put in right. Posted onFebruary 2nd, 2023byNew Leaf Crawl Space How To Fix A Vapor Barrier Tag

If you have lived in the Portland area for any length of time than you probably know that we get quite a bit of rain around here.  Unfortunately, sometimes all that precipitation outside materializes inside of your crawlspace, which can cause some real problems.  Standing water in a crawlspace in Portland, Oregon can quickly cause damages to your home, including structural damages as well as mold growth.  To avoid these things, you need to know what to do if you discover water in your crawlspace. First, it is helpful to know how water gets down there in the first place.  Basically, there are two factors that can result in standing water in a crawlspace. Surface Water in the crawlspace Surface water is when you have water runoff coming into the crawlspace.  Typically this occurs when your home is on a slope and rain water is coming down that slope and resting against the structure.  It can also occur when your foundation vents are below grade, allowing water to seep in.  Fixing a foundation vent that is below grade is fairly easy and can be accomplished by installing a foundation vent well.  When you are on a slope, this is a bit trickier and usually involves the installation of a French drain (see below). Groundwater in the crawlspace Groundwater is the water that is present beneath the soils surface and can change as the water table rises and falls.  Since the water table is always changing, this means that you could have a dry crawlspace one day and a wet one the next day.  Sometimes we see seasonal drainage issues in Portland, Oregon and Vancouver, Washington area homes where the crawlspace is perfectly dry in the summer and very wet in the rainy season.  There is no simple fix for this situation and will need to be dealt with by installing a drainage system in the crawlspace. Regardless of how the water got into the crawlspace, the solution to the problem could potentially be the same.  Generally this consists of some combination of either a French drain, sump pump or both.  If you do notice groundwater issues in your crawlspace, the first thing you should do is put in a sump pump.  A sump pump will pump water out of the crawlspace when installed at its lowest point.  When New Leaf Crawlspace Solutions installs pumps, we will dig out a large hole, place a sump basin with filter fabric and drain rock surrounding it, then the pump will be plumbed to discharge water usually into the exterior gutter rain drains. A French drain may also be required.  A French drain is basically a trench that is sloped towards the sump pump.  Inside the trench will be a 3 inch perforated pipe, filter fabric and drain rock. Ideally, a drainage system in a crawlspace will have a French drain around the perimeter of the crawlspace and a sump pump at its lowest point.  This type of drainage system is very simple in design, but very difficult to install.  At New Leaf Crawlspace Solutions, we have an experienced staff that can install any drainage system for your home.  If you are looking for help on a drainage project, please consider giving us a call and schedule your free inspection and estimate. Posted onFebruary 16th, 2023byNew Leaf Crawl Space How Does Water Get Into Your Crawlspace? Tags: crawlspace, french drain, standing water in crawl space, sump pump, water in crawl space

At New Leaf Crawlspace Solutions, we see a fair number of crawlspaces that have been completely destroyed by raccoons or opossums in the Portland and Vancouver area.  For most home owners, your crawlspace is not a place you normally go.  In fact, many years can go by without anyone ever seeing the area beneath your home.  During this time, many issues can go hidden without being addressed, such as rodent infestation, standing water and worst of all, raccoon and opossum damages. Raccoons are not just a rural problem.  Increasingly in the Portland area, raccoons can be seen in neighborhoods searching for food and shelter, mostly at night.  There is no question that there are many of them around, no matter where you live, but how do they get in and how do you know if you have them? Nearly all raccoon infestations start with a compromised foundation vent.  These are the square vents in your foundation with 1/4 inch screen on them.  This screen is usually held by just a little bit of glue during installation and can wear out over time and leave the screen wide open for nuisance wildlife to come on in.  Raccoons are also smart and can sometimes push on the screen to gain access.  Once inside, a raccoon will usually search out a heat source (your air ducts).  They will rip those ducts pretty easily if you have flexible ducting.  Next, they pull down insulation to nest in and leave a contamination all over.  A raccoon infested crawlspace can look like a bomb went off down there. To know if you might have a raccoon underneath your home, there are a couple of things you should be looking for.  First, walk around your home and look at the foundation screens to ensure they are intact.  Sometimes screens are placed in areas you cannot see like underneath a deck, so don’t assume you have checked everywhere.  Next, a dog or a cat will definitely be able to smell them and will start acting strange.  Most commonly, a dog will bark or growl at heating vent or something like that.  You might also notice a smell coming from your ducts.  Sometimes, you can hear them rustling around at night.  All of these are common signs of a  problem, but the best way to check is just to open your crawlspace hatch and look for downed insulation.  Of course, the easiest way is just to call New Leaf Pest Control for a free inspection and we would be happy to check things our for you. But, the real pertinent question is if insurance will cover this mess.  In our experience, the answer is “yes” most of the time.  Every home insurance policy is different, but most cover this issue.  An insurance adjustor generally will need to determine if the infestation was “sudden and accidental”, which is what insurance is for.  If this is an issue that has been going on for a very long time, they might not cover it, but generally they will.  An adjustor is going to want to see pictures proving that the damages are in fact from a raccoon (footprints, fecal matter, etc.).  At New Leaf Crawlspace Solutions, we work with insurance adjustors and will help you with your claim.  So, if you think you might have an unwanted nuisance wildlife issue, please give us a call and we would be happy to help. Posted onAugust 10th, 2023byNew Leaf Crawl Space Does Insurance Cover Raccoon Damages To My Crawlspace?

Right now, in the Portland, Oregon and Vancouver, Washington area there many homes with very unhealthy crawlspaces.  You would never know by looking at theses houses.  Many of them seem very nice and clean, some of them in upscale neighborhoods, some in neighborhoods not as nice.  From the outside or even the inside of the home, you would never know what is happening underneath.  The point is, you never really know what the crawlspace looks like unless you inspect it and despite how clean you keep your home, you might have a very unhealthy, dirty and gross crawlspace. What Is  A Crawlspace? The area underneath your main living area is called a crawlspace.  They come in different sizes and varieties, but they are usually about 2 feet in height, have insulation on the subfloor and vapor barrier (plastic) on the ground.  You may also have air ducts and plumbing pipes that run through this space.   Lastly, you have the structural components that hold the home up. How Crawlspaces Get So Bad There are two things that can cause major problems in a crawlspace.  The first is moisture.  Sometimes this can come in the form of groundwater, which is water seeping up and settling on top of the vapor barrier or surface water that is water coming from a sloped yard, for example.  Either way, water can be very damaging to a home, causing wood rot and mold.  Many homes in the area have this problem and there are certain geographical areas that are more likely to have standing water like Beaverton, NW Portland and Battle Ground.  However, this is not an exhaustive list and ground water or surface water can be found all over the Portland Metro area.  For some houses, this is seasonal and only shows up during the rainy season.  For other homes, this is a year round problem. The other cause of crawlspace damages are animals.   This can include opossums, raccoons, skunks and other nuisance wildlife, but the most likely cause of damages and contamination to a crawlspace is rodents.  Rats and mice can easily get into a crawlspace, even if it is fully sealed up, by digging or chewing their way through.  Rodents do an immense amount of damage and can quickly contaminate a space.  Since they have no control over bladder or fecal movements, they leave waste everywhere they go.  This leaves your crawlspace a very gross place and considering that approximately 40% of the air you breathe in your house comes from your crawlspace, you can see the importance of cleaning things up. How To Clean A Crawlspace Typically, a crawlspace is cleaned (we call it a crawlspace restoration) by removing the vapor barrier and subfloor insulation.  Sometimes we will need to also remove air ducts, fix foundation screens and more.  Once we have all of the contaminated material out, we disinfect the space with a ULV fogger and a product that cleans and sanitizes.  After that, we begin the process of putting the space back together, installing the new 6 mil black vapor barrier (polyurethane)  and install the subfloor insulation (usually R30 Knauf Eco Batt). Whether or not you are in need of a crawlspace restoration or you simply would like a free inspection to check things out down there, please call New Leaf Crawlspace Solutions today to see how we can help!

It’s Snowing in Portland! What Happens When It Melts? Well, the snow has finally arrived in Portland and southwest Washington for 2025. As I write this, it is coming down in flurries, covering the New Leaf Crawl Space Solutions parking lot and beyond. By the time this storm passes, it is likely that we will have a couple of inches of snow in our yards and on our homes. So, what happens when it starts to melt? That is when our crew is most busy because the snow that melts around your home, works its way through the ground near your foundation and, often times, finds itself pooling under your home. How Water Gets Into Your Crawl Space Water will usually find a way into your crawlspace if there is enough of it and certain factors exist. The most common entry point for water is the footer of your foundation. When water is pooling against your home and runs down the foundation, it will find that seam where the footer is located at the very bottom of your foundation and flow right in. It can also flow underneath the footer and rise up through hydrostatic pressure into the crawl space. Sometimes this can be easily rectified by moving gutter downspouts further away from the home or correcting sloping issues near the foundation. Other times, it requires a more labor intensive approach and a drainage system is required to get water out of the crawl space. How To Get Water Out Of A Crawl Space The process for getting water out of a crawl space is simple to understand, but hard to do. Generally, this process is going to start with a sump pump. If the crawl space is really flooded, the first step is to crawl through the water and find the lowest point of the crawl space and start digging. On our Portland and Vancouver homes that are flooded, we will usually dig a hole that is about 2 feet deep and one foot wide (I know, sounds fun, right?). Once we have our hole, we will install a basin with holes in it and place a pump in the basin with a temporary hose that will discharge water out of a foundation screen into your yard or the street in front of your home. We then place fans down there and let it sit for a day or so. At this point, we have gotten rid of the water, but have not done anything to stop it from happening again. That is where a drainage system comes in. New Leaf Crawl Space Solutions Drainage System A drainage system is fairly simple to explain, but again, not so simple to install.  Generally, it will consist of a sump pump at the lowest point of the crawlspace that is plumbed into your rain drains and the installation of a crawl space french drain that is sloped to the pump.  These projects usually take our team of hard working guys about 2 days to install.  At the end of those projects, you will see a nice, clean and dry crawl space with a system designed to stop it from ever flooding again. If you are concerned about water in your crawl space and want to get it inspected, we provide this service for free to our customers in Portland, Vancouver and the surrounding areas.  Please contact New Leaf Crawlspace Solutions today to schedule!