Mold Growth on Floor Joists
Mold and mildew have formed along the floor joists of the crawl space. This can occur on organic materials when the relative humidity reaches over 60% during warmer temperatures. Mold spores and musty odors will find their way up into the home and can irritate those with allergies and asthma.
Insufficient Vapor Barrier
The current vapor barrier covering the dirt floor of the crawl space is flimsy and torn in many places, exposing the crawl space to moisture rising out of the earth. This moisture rises up and becomes trapped, affecting the relative humidity and environment of the crawl space.
Porous Foundation Walls
The walls of the crawl space are made with porous cinderblocks, which allow air and moisture to seep through and affect the crawl space. Moisture infiltrating the crawl space becomes trapped, adding to the relative humidity and possibly damaging materials.
Eliminating Mold Growth
We used an antimicrobial, called Shockwave, to eliminate mold and mildew growth on all affected materials. Shockwave will kill mold spores but it does not remove any staining left behind by mold and mildew. It is also important to note that it can begin to form again if the relative humidity and environment are not controlled.
CleanSpace Vapor Barrier
We installed a 20mil vapor barrier, called CleanSpace, over the dirt flooring of this crawl space. It gets wrapped around all piers and mechanically fastened six to eight inches above outside grade on the foundation walls. This heavy-duty liner will help to protect the crawl space from any moisture rising out of the earth and comes with a built-in antimicrobial, called UltraFresh, to mitigate mold growth on the liner itself.
Prepping for Spray Foam
We covered the inner side of any open vents lining the foundation walls with a custom foam board piece and sealed them with can foam. This was in preparation for the closed-cell spray foam that would cover the foundation walls. At an inch and a half thickness, this spray foam would act as an air barrier and vapor retarder, protecting the crawl space from any outside influence.
