3 Signs your Crawl Space Requires Repair

Three signs that your Crawl Space needs Waterproofing Services: Musty Smells, Water Damage and displaced Insulation.

Musty Smells: Let us define what these musty smells are, what causes them and why you should be focused on fixing the root cause of these odors.

Musty Odors are also called MVOC’s or Microbial Organic Volatile Compounds. Microbial volatile organic compounds (MVOCs) are a variety of compounds formed in the metabolism of fungi and bacteria; and most importantly are an indication of excessive Mold populations.  The cause of this mold is the combination of Food Source, Water and Spores that live in an environment where rapid expansion of population creates concentrations that are 1) Noticeable to the olfactory senses and 2) Often harmful to the occupants of the property in the form of respiratory effects or eye irritation.  The framing and lumber structure of your home provides the food source, and the environment (uncontrolled air leaks or active water leaks) provide the moisture required to fuel rapid expansion of Mold Spores.  You need to repair the home to prevent these conditions from occurring because 30% or more (by some estimates) of the air you breathe in your home originates in the crawl space.  Air that is “Musty” contains harmful by-products that occupants should avoid.

Water Damage, evidenced by standing water on the floor, wall cracks that leak water and efflorescence that appears as white staining on the walls are a sign of required crawl space repair.

Water damage is a root cause of rapid mold growth and MVOC’s requiring mitigation for all of the same reasons mentioned above.  If left unchecked, water damage creates and environment that promotes mold growth or worse, degradation of framing members.  It drives the humidity levels of the crawl space environment to unhealthy levels, and in turn, creates unhealthy conditions in the living spaces of the property.

Displaced Insulation or insulation that is falling from the floor joists is a third sign that your crawl space requires repairs.  Insulation falls as a result of exposure to excessive humidity due to water damage, or ventilation schemes that do not work.  Air in the crawl space can enter through vents saturated with water vapor that reaches the Dew Point when it cools.  The dew point is reached within the insulation itself, making the now wet insulation heavy, pulling it from the floor joist bay where it was placed.  Soon, your crawl space can look like a dank cave with fiberglass stalactites drooping from the ceiling.  Much like MVOC’s this condition is an indication of a problem with the result of vast expanses of uninsulated floors above, and moldy paper backing on the insulation.

If you have any of these conditions, please call 3 Pros Basement Systems.  We can help you determine how to best treat your crawl space to treat yourself and your family to healthier living conditions.

(Based on a project in Sumerduck, VA)