Fredericksburg, VA's Basement Waterproofing & Crawlspace Encapsulation Professionals

If left untreated, groundwater seepage will damage a basement, ruining personal items and finishing. Over the past couple of years, a leak in a customer's home had become much worse. It became concerning after they discovered traces of mold under the soiled carpet. The basement became unusable and they wanted a permanent solution. Our customer discussed their concerns with our Sales Professional, who recommended a waterproofing solution that would permanently fix the issue, and make the basement useable again. Our production crew installed WaterGuard Internal Drainage System. This system captures groundwater and directs it to the sump pump. The other products installed include ThermalDry Wall Membrane and SuperSump Premier Sump Pump. Our customer was relieved to know that they can now use their basement and refinish it without worrying about water leaking in. 

Efflorescence is a white, dry, powdery material that collects on the walls and foundations of basements and crawl spaces. It can sometimes look like mold, causing concern for homeowners. While efflorescence is a byproduct of excessive moisture, it is completely different from mold. Mold doesn't usually like to grow on inorganic materials like concrete - it prefers substances like wood. Mold also comes in a variety of colors whereas efflorescence is white, powdery, and crumbles when rubbed in between fingers. 

Once mold is ruled out, the issues that are causing the efflorescence need to be addressed. Efflorescence is actually dried salts of water that has passed through a porous material. Concrete might seem solid, but there are tiny holes and avenues for water to seep through. The natural push of the water through this tight material causes a huge amount of hydrostatic pressure that can damage the concrete, threatening the structural integrity of the home. 

Efflorescence can be easily removed with a quick scrub, but its presence indicates that water is entering places that it shouldn't be. More information about efflorescence and what it means for your home can be found here. 

Wildlife and pests are commonly seen in crawl spaces that are not encapsulated, poorly insulated, and have open access points to the exterior. The usual offenders are racoons, squirrels, mice, and snakes. Every now and then however, our team finds something unexpected! This time, their were frogs in the crawl space. There was enough standing water for frogs to live - this indicates that there was some serious flooding/seepage occurring in this crawl space. With an encapsulated crawl space, this home will now be frog-free.

Homeowners in Glendie, VA had a basement with a sump pump, but there was a particularly bad storm that knocked out the power. When this happened, the sump pump stopped working and the basement flooded. The homeowners wanted to make sure this didn't happen again so the gave us a call at 3 Pros Basement Systems. After a thorough evaluation, we decided that these homeowners needed an UltraSump, which is a battery back-up sump pump system for Zoeller pumps. The UltraSump battery back-up system is able to pump over 11,000 gallons of water from a single charged battery and comes with a charging system that is able to keep the battery charged while the battery is on. An alarm is also integrated into the charging system to alert you the UltraSump is operating. Now these homeowners can breathe easy knowing their basement will be dry all the time- even in the event of a power loss. 

A Fredericksburg, VA homeowner had a large crawl space and was interested in getting it encapsulated. We encapsulated the crawl space area with CleanSpace Encapsulation System. We also installed SilverGlo Crawl Space Insulation and Rim Joist Insulation in the crawl space area. 

CleanSpace Drainage Matting is installed underneath the CleanSpace Matting to provide a channel for the water to drain into the drainage system.  The CleanSpace Liner is a bright white 20-mil thick liner, similar to a pool liner that is installed on the floors and walls of the crawl space to provide a mold and vapor-proof barrier between the ground and the home.  CleanSpace Vent Covers help to provide an airtight seal to the crawl space.  SilverGlo is rigid insulation with graphite infused into it that is installed on the walls of the crawl space. Rim Joist Insulation is installed along the rim joist.  The rim joist is the board just above the foundation at the perimeter of the flooring system of the home.  Having SilverGlo and Rim Joist Insulation installed with help keep the home warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer. 

CleanSpace SmartDrain was also installed. The SmartDrain protects against water from a plumbing leak that seeps into the crawl space.  It also has a WaterWatch Alarm that will alert the homeowner to a problem before damage and possibly a high water bill occur. Want to make sure your crawl space is always protected? Call 3 Pros Basement Systems to schedule an appointment with a knowledgeable Certified Inspector who can answer all of your questions and pick the perfect solution for your unique home.   

The SmartPump comes with a premium quality Zoelle 1/3 hp cast iron pump that has an automatic float switch. The lid and sump pump basin are designed to work with the CleanSpace crawl space vapor barrier system. This creates an airtight seal. The SmartPump system is designed to crawl spaces dry to reduce moisture, mold, water, and flooding. 

Water from a leak fills an alarm pocket, which will sound a WaterWatch alarm that lets you and your family know there is a leak. After this, the water will flow down an airtight drain to keep your crawl space moisture.