Before & After Photos

Homeowners in Chrisney, IN knew that their dirt crawl space had excess moisture in the air causing mold and could eventually lead to structural damage. 

BEFORE: Moisture that enters the crawl space through the soil or vents can ruin insulation and also encourage mold growth and wood rot. 

AFTER: Healthy Spaces installed a vapor barrier liner. Installing a vapor barrier will not only create a healthier living space but can save you money on your utility bills. We recommended doing a full encapsulation with our CleanSpace Vapor Barrier because it's the most effective in preventing water vapor and humidity from passing through. It also protects your structure and insulation from mold. But they asked to wait a couple of months before doing a full encapsulation in their crawl space. 

So often, crawlspace access areas are left open, or covered with a sheet of plywood. These inadequate sorts of covers allow in moisture, insects, mold spores, etc. A vented crawlspace is a recipe for disaster in that regard.

In the pictures, you can see the old crawlspace access as the crew begins to install an EverLast Crawlspace Door by Basement Systems. EverLast Doors are made from 1/2 inch thick plastic. This way, the EverLast door will never shrink, warp, crack or rot like a wood door can. This durable, airtight door is a necessary component to any CleanSpace installation to make the crawlspace truly encapsulated and air-tight. This way, you have an energy efficient, aesthetically pleasing crawlspace entrance.

The EverLast door is completely maintenance-free because it will never warp, need painting, or rot. It is also easy to open when access is required.

A big rainstorm in Vincennes, IN, left one family's crawl space flooded. The family explained that they have needed to treat their crawl space for a while now, but had not gotten around to it. Once the rainstorm had ended, one of the family members happened to inspect the crawl space to see if it survived the storm, only to find the space covered in water. On the ceiling of the crawl, the wood beams had mold spores spreading due to the humidity and moisture present. We needed to inspect the crawl and find the best solution so that the family will have peace of mind about. 

All mold spores were scrubbed and sprayed away through mold remediation. To prevent moisture from escaping into the crawl again, all openings are tightly closed. A SmartSump pump was installed to pump away any water that would enter by the crawl's soiled ground. A drainage matting is laid throughout the crawl to protect the ground and react the flow of the water towards the sump pump. It also adds extra protection for the CleanSpace that is put on top of the drainage matting. CleanSpace creates an "indoor" environment that makes it safe t store belongings in. The SaniDry Sedona dehumidifier is hooked up to create a dry airflow throughout the space. 

Mildew was a recent concern for a client out in Lawrenceville, IL.  The client was concerned with the high humidity lingering in the crawlspace, along with a damp floor that was slowly causing mildew to grow. The mildew appeared in closets on the main floor above.  The crawlspace was open, which created humidity and moisture in the air of the crawl space. When it is open, bringing in continuous moisture, it affects the energy that is being lost. 

Controlling air infiltration is the key to energy conservation in a building.  The top priority is to close up the giant holes in a crawl space wall while also eliminating the reason, such as exposed damp earth, that those holes were put there in the first place.  A crawl space vent was used to permanently cover the outside, and to stop unwanted outside air from entering the crawl space.  Encapsulation also helps the crawl space by sealing the floor from air leaks, and since problems in a crawl space need to be permanently fixed, it was added.  A closed crawlspace and encapsulation will conclusively end the cycle of mildew from the floor above. 

Fordsville, KY, like most of the surrounding areas has two struggles to deal with: high groundwater levels and lots of dirt floor crawlspaces.  The combination of the two creates a crawlspace mold epidemic that has largely been ignored by many residents until the mold infestation is quite advanced.  After all, how often do we really inspect our crawlspaces?  As you can see here, the mold situation in this Fordsville crawlspace was advanced and causing issues like musty, damp smells throughout the home, increased indoor allergies, and more frequent sinus related and respiratory illnesses.  When the homeowners went to inspect the crawlspace, they discovered that mold was growing over practically every surface in the crawlspace.  The homeowners immediately contacted Healthy Spaces to get the crawlspace remediated.

Donnie Stutesville, a mold remediation expert with Healthy Spaces, came out and inspected the crawlspace.  He recommended a three pronged approach to resolving the crawlspace mold and moisture issues: 

1. Remediate the mold and fungus

2. Remove standing water, debris, and the like

3. Seal the crawlspace with a vapor barrier

Donnie recommended both a mold/fungus treatment and a preventative coating to stop regrowth.  He explained that the mold and fungus treatment would need to be scrubbed off of all surfaces to remove the dead fungi and spores, then that debris would need to be removed prior to coating the entire crawlspace with a preventative solution.  In addition, the crawlspace needed a water removal system with sump pump and a dehumidifier.  Finally, the entire crawlspace needed a powerful vapor barrier installed to prevent the crawlspace from becoming moldy again.  You can see in the after photo that the mold removal was successful and the wood looks great with it's clear preventative coating in place!