FAQ

Wet crawl spaces promote mold growth. As these molds grow they release spores into the air which will eventually be inhaled by the home occupants.

This usually is efflorescence.

Concrete is a porous material. When water is built up inside it or behind it, it will cause the concrete to get wet. This moisture will then evaporate inside the crawl space and leave behind white crystal formations.

These three conditions will be present for efflorescence to form:

1. Somewhere along the crawl space wall there must be water soluble salts found.
2. There will also need to be enough moisture found along the walls to turn these salts into a soluble solution that can be absorbed by the concrete.
3. There must be a way for the salt solution to evaporate. This is what leaves the white, chalky substance behind.

The best bet to prevent efflorescence from being found in your crawl space is to encapsulate.

The presence of efflorescence is a sign that outside water has found away into your home. The use of an interior waterproofing system is a good way to handle water that has found its way into your home, but the goal is that you want to prevent that moisture from coming in all together.

The best way to do this is with crawl space encapsulation. This includes using products like vapor barriers, drainage systems, sump pumps, and dehumidifiers.

Cleaning efflorescence off of walls in a crawl space is usually not a high concern since these areas of the home are not generally living spaces or finished..

In the event that the home owner does want to clean the walls there are chemical cleaners that contain muriatic acid that are usually used. Before these can be used however, it is essential that the moisture issue leading to the efflorescence has been resolved. Sand blasting is another option that is commonly used.

Generally speaking mold is usually dark green or black. Most often it will be found on organic materials like wood; such as, floor joists, support beams, or any other organic material.

Mold requires 3 things to grow; moisture, high humidity, and an organic source of food. All of which can be found in an un-sealed crawl space.

When moisture from heavy rains or large snow melts finds its way into an un-sealed crawl space, the combination of moisture, high humidity, and the surplus of organic material for mood will easily support mold growth.

Yes mold can be extremely dangerous to both you and your pets. As the mold grows it will continue to release spores into the air. These microscopic spores will make their way through the air in the home and eventually be breathed in by you or your pet.

Mold has been found to cause many health problems; including, fatigue, asthma attacks, allergies, headaches, sinus infections, skin rashes, eye irritations, asthma attacks, coughing and sneezing, respiratory complications, and several other medical concerns.

When mold is allow to grow under a home, it can cause a lot of damage to both the building structure and the home occupants. A home that has substantial mold can quickly lose real estate value and become a nightmare for the home owner . Mold produces a very poor indoor air quality and can swiftly produce symptoms to people within the residence.

The ideal way to get rid of mold is to remove the sources that it requires. The best approach to that is to seal the crawl space to prevent humidity and moisture from being able to get inside.

To do this properly you will want to encapsulate the crawl space. This includes using products like vapor barriers, drainage systems, sump pumps, and dehumidifiers to seal off the crawl space from the outside.

If the first floor of your home seems un-level or has areas that seem to sag, it is probably being caused by a sagging floor joists. Joists often begin to sag when there is excess moisture under the home in the crawl space.

A crawl space under a home needs to be properly encapsulated to prevent problems that are often associated with excess moisture and humidity. When the excess water or humidity comes in contact with the wood it can cause floor joists to sag along with several other structural issues.

Water finds its way into an un-sealed crawl space through the ground along the footer, through the walls, vents, and through access doors. As the water finds its way in, it will begin to damage the wooden structure of the home including the floor joists, and support beams.

If the water is present long enough the wood will begin to warp, rot, decay and eventually deteriorate. This process quickly weakens the structure of the home and attracts unwanted pests like termites, spiders, roaches, snakes, rats, mice, and even skunks and raccoons.

1. A house with a musty smell can be a sign that mold is present..
2. There are signs of water pooling or puddling around the outside of the crawl space.
3. Areas of the first floor seem to be uneven, sagging, or spongy.
4. Visible damage can be seen on the wooden structures.

Crawl Space encapsulation is the use of vapor barriers, floor liners, spray foam insulation,vents, crawl space doors, dehumidifiers, sump pumps, and drainage systems to seal off the crawl space from the outside and the earth to keep moisture where it belongs.

During this process it is also important to remove any decaying wood that is found. This will help the structure regain strength, prevent further damage, and deter pest.

In some cases it may be necessary to install a crawl space support stabilization system. This can help make un-level portion of the floor level and safe.

If the relative humidity levels inside the home rise above 70%it can become a breeding ground for mold. High humidity below your home along with moisture and organic material can lead to the development of dangerous mold. A dehumidifier may help, but if the crawl space is not sealed the dehumidifier will constantly run which can increase energy bills and cause the dehumidifier to become over worked and fail. For many instances the combination of crawl space encapsulation and a dehumidifier will be the best solution to battle high humidity.

High humidity will contribute to mold growth and the decaying,rotting, and deterioration of wooden materials. The weakened wood structures will impair the structural integrity of a home and attract numerous pest. The idea of pest living and multiplying inside of your home can be a nightmare and very expensive.

1. The forming of condensation on crawl space access doors and vents.
2. The first floor of the home has areas of the floor that seem un-level.
3. The house has a strong musty odor, than many claim smells like old gym socks. This is usually a sure sign that mold is present.
4. During a visual inspection mold can be seen growing in the crawl space.
5. During a visual inspection wood rot or decay can be seen on the structure of the home.

To prevent humidity crawl space encapsulation is recommended. This may include the combination of several products; including,dehumidifiers, vapor barriers, floor liners, sump pumps, drainage systems, vents and vent doors, spray foam insulation, and possible other products. Encapsulating using a combination of products will provide you with the best option of creating a safer and healthier home.

Pest can find there way into small openings, vents, and gaps that are found in unsealed crawl spaces. Unsealed crawl spaces also allow moisture to enter the space. This moisture will aid in creating a damp dark environment, and promote the wood in the crawl space to begin to rot and decay. This environment attracts unwanted pest like termites, roaches, and mosquitoes.

This dark and wet space will also be an attractive den for many vermin who would love to raise their families in the comfort of your home. As they complete their life cycle in the home the will leave behind food, waste, and decaying corpses.

When most home are built crawl spaces are insulated using fiberglass insulation. It is readily available to the builder at little cost and requires very little time to put in. Unfortunately this type of insulation is not suited for a damp crawl space. When fiberglass insulation comes into contact with water it becomes wet. It will then eventually begin to deteriorate. As it deteriorates it will begin to fall apart exposing the wood structures of the home. This exposes these area of the home to being possible water damaged.

1. A musty smell can be found in the home, which is often caused by mold growth inside of the fiberglass materials.
2. Notice an increase in energy bills.
3. Seems hard to regulate temperatures in the home. It either gets too hot or too cold.
4. Notice un-even floors on the first level of your home. This is often caused from wood that has become wet and beginning to rot.
5. Fiberglass insulation can be seen on the ground indicating that it has fallen from the moisture’s added weight .

Wet insulation can promote mold growth. Once it has collected dirt, dust, or the the paper backing has gotten wet it becomes a prime breeding ground for mold.

Using the right kind of insulation in your crawl space is very important. Fiberglass insulation holds water and allows air transfer. The goal is to have the crawl space properly sealed and insulated to prevent the loss of any conditioned air in the space.

The wet fiberglass insulation should be removed and disposed of properly to limit any additional damage to the wood and to minimize mold growth. In its place a closed cell spray foam should be used around the perimeter of the crawl space. The spray foam insulation does not absorb water, it protects the wood structures of your home, and is a great pest deterrent.

Many homeowners overlook the fact that an overflowing gutter or poorly draining downspout may be the issue that is resulting to a wet crawl space. If these are not working as intended and letting water run down the outside of the wall it can accumulate along the footing. It will then only be a matter of time before that water begins to find its way into your crawl space.

Downspout extensions allow you to direct the water coming out of the downspout further away from the foundation preventing pooling and standing water from being able to build up along the footing.

Gutters should always be inspected and tested seasonally. They can easily become blocked by leaves, acorns, birds nest, pine cones and so on. Even gutters that have a guard on them should be checked. This will not only help protect your crawl space, but will also save you from having related problems with your siding and windows.

A footing drain is installed around the home after the foundation has been constructed, prior too any soil being backfilled. Gravel will first be added around the outside of the foundation. Next the drainage pipe will be placed on top of the gravel around the perimeter of the home. More gravel is then placed on top of the drainage pipe to cover it and hold it in place. In some occasions the builder may add a certain type of fabric over the pipe to aid in filtering our sediment. Finally the area is completely backfilled with soil and graded as needed.

The drain serves as the main method to prevent outside water from getting into your home. Over time however this drainage may become clogged with tree roots, sediment, and other debris.

At some point this drain will fail to collect and move water away from the home and will need to be serviced. The drain is a crucial element when it comes to keeping your crawl space clean.

1. Water has begin to pool or collect along the footing in your crawl space.
2. Areas of the homes first floor are un-even or seem to be “sinking”.
3. The home is beginning to smell musty.
4. Upon inspecting the crawl space you see standing water, wood rot, or notice the insulation has become damaged.

If the footer drain outside of the structure is not removing water and channeling it away, then the crawl space will eventually flood as the water level along the home rises. As this water finds its way in it will promote mold and mildew, and begin damaging the wooden supports of the structure. These are issues that want to be addressed immediately to minimize damages to the property. prevent health concerns, and minimize costly expenses.

After the problem with the drain has been resolved it is best practice to seal off the crawl space to prevent any further damage from moisture..

Again the best way to do this is encapsulating using various products as needed; including, drainage systems, dehumidifiers, sump pump, reflective thermal barriers, floor liners, vapor barriers, spray foam, and possibly stabilizers to support sagging joists. Using a combination of these products will help provide you with the best chance of having a dry, safe, and healthy crawl space.

The soil that is used to fill in 3-5 feet around your home’s foundation walls is known as backfill soil. If this area is not properly filled and graded it may result in low lying areas and dips that collect and hold water along your homes foundation.

Sooner or later as this moisture continues to work its way down to the foundation walls and to the footer, it will find its way into an un-sealed crawl space.

1. Dips, low-lying areas, or sunken areas can be seen around the homes foundation.
2. Water can be seen pooling or puddling along the foundation.
3. If piers are present to support the the weight of the home they may begin to sink further into the earth.
4. The first level floor of the home may begin to feel uneven or sturdy.
5. Upon visual inspection of the crawl space water is found, damaged wood is found, or mold in present.

There may need to be more soil added to the back fill until the proper grading is reached.