Crawl Space Moisture in Midlothian, VA

Challenge

This Midlothian, VA Homeowner contacted us with concerns about moisture in their home and that it might be coming from the crawl space. At our inspection, we found that there was high relative humidity and condensation in the crawl space. It had resulted in mildew/mold growth on the joists, falling insulation, and high moisture in the home. 

Solution

To address the homeowner's concerns, we began by cleaning out the crawl space. The old insulation was falling down and holding moisture against the joists and the old vapor barrier was deteriorating and in many spots, wasn't covering the ground. Once the crawl space was cleaned out, we treated the mildew/mold with an antimicrobial. Then, we installed the CleanSpace vapor barrier, overlapping all seams and sealing them, we wrapped all the piers and ran the CleanSpace up the walls 6-8 inches above outside grade. All the vents were blocked with foam board insulation from the inside, so no changes were made to the exterior of the home. We then installed spray foam insulation on the crawl space walls and sealed the sill plate and rim and band. A friction fit door is installed behind the exterior crawl space door to air seal and insulate. Finally, a dehumidifier is installed to control the relative humidity. 

This solution will help keep moisture out of the crawl space by sealing the space from the earth and sealing gaps that allow air carrying moisture to enter. The dehumidifier will control the relative humidity in the crawl space and the homeowners will be more comfortable in their home.