Crawl Space Repairs in Cardnial, VA

Challenge

A Cardinal, VA homeowner contacted us because they had some concerns about the condition of their crawl space. At the inspection, we found that a build-up of moisture had wreaked havoc on the space. Insulation was dirty and falling from between the joists, in some places it was totally missing. Moisture was being allowed in through open vents, the crawl space door, and from the earth.  

The 6 mil vapor barrier in the crawl space was displaced, and missing in several areas allowing water vapor to rise from the earth and impact the space. This contributed to the high relative humidity, damage, and microbial growth. As the fiberglass insulation absorbed moisture, not only was it holding it against the wood joists, but it was becoming heavier, the material was separating from itself and falling away from the floors. Mold LOVES the paper backing of insulation and other organic materials. As the moisture content in the wood rose, it threatened wood rot, which begins at 19% wood moisture content. 

Solution

The homeowner wanted to treat the mold and fix up their crawl space. We recommended a full encapsulation with a dehumidifier, to not only repair the damage in the crawl space but to prevent it from happening again.

In this case, the homeowner chose to have all of the old insulation and vapor barrier removed. The joists were then treated with Shockwave Antimicrobial, a hospital-grade antimicrobial that kills the microbial growth. At this point, the homeowner opted to install a new 6-mil vapor barrier and new fiberglass batts in the floor joists.

While the homeowner has treated the mold, they have not controlled the relative humidity in this crawl space. This leaves the crawl space vulnerable for these conditions to occur again, and the need for the project to be repeated.  Our recommendation to protect this home is to install a durable vapor barrier that can fastened and sealed to the foundation walls and piers, seal off the vents, rim and band, and sill plate, insulate the crawl space walls with foam insulation, and install a dehumidifier. This option will help protect the crawl space and the homeowner from undergoing the same repairs again and make the home healthier, more durable, and more comfortable.