Why am I getting a strong odor after sealing my crawlspace?
/Odors are one of the hardest things to predict or identify causes for. In a small percentage (less than 5%) of homes, we encounter a very strong smell (often described as cat urine) after installation of a vapor barrier. It is impossible to predict which homes this may affect but the smell is caused by microbes and that live in the soil. When the crawlspace is sealed these microbes die and begin to decay under the vapor barrier and in some homes this odor can enter the crawl space. In some cases this odor may be temporary but in others it can be more persistent. The solution is to install a exhaust fan under the vapor barrier to create a negative pressure and pull these odors outside of the home.
