New Kent County's Skilled Basement & Crawlspace Moisture Control & Insulation Experts

This Quinton homeowner contacted us because they had concerns about moisture and mold in their crawl space. At our inspection, we found that there was a radiant barrier adhered to the underside of the floor joists. The radiant barrier is acting as a vapor retarder, this is an unintended consequence of installing a radiant barrier in the crawl space. Moisture gets trapped between the subfloor and the radiant barrier, creating an optimum opportunity for microbial growth. The paper backing of the radiant barrier and the wood floor joists are food for mold. In addition, there is no insulation in the floor cavities or on the foundation walls leaving the homeowner with cold floors. As open vents pour warm, humid outside air into the crawl space it becomes trapped, and it tries to work its way up into the house. Water vapor rises from the earth, and with no vapor barrier on the ground, there was nothing deterring vapor from affecting the crawl space. As the condensation and humidity accumulate, the opportunity for mold growth occurs. Inside the home, it results in musty odors and high humidity. The homeowner wanted to remediate the mold and control the moisture in their crawl space to prevent it from coming back.

To achieve this, we proposed removing the radiant barrier which was deteriorating and causing more problems than it solved and any debris. We then suggested treating the mold with ShockWave antimicrobial which would kill the microbial growth. Since this homeowner didn’t have a lot of traffic in their crawl space and didn’t use it for storage, we recommended a 10-mil vapor barrier wrapped and sealed around all piers and fastened and sealed to the crawl space walls, 6 to 8 inches above outside grade, this completely seals the crawl space off from the earth’s moisture. We advised sealing the rim and band, sill plate, and all vents. These are major entry points for air carrying moisture. We would then install closed cell spray foam insulation on the foundation walls and an interior friction fit crawl space door to insulate and air seal behind the exterior Everlast Crawl Space door. Everlast is a durable crawl space door option that does not rust, rot, or warp and adheres to most HOA guidelines. As the final piece to controlling relative humidity, we suggested installing a SaniDry Sedona Dehumidifier, which would only cut on when relative humidity reaches 55%, the standard setting on our units, to keep the crawl space below 60%, the point at which microbial growth beings. This system will help prevent mold growth, keep floors warm, reduce energy bills, improve indoor air quality and make the home more comfortable.