I am getting a musty smell in my home after heavy rains or after being out of town, is it my crawl space?

The source of odors in your home is very hard to identify, musty smells inside the home may be caused by moisture in the crawl space or may be unrelated. Many people notice these odors when their home has been closed up for an extended period like returning from vacation or after periods of heavy rainfall. Sometimes these odors are simply a seasonal or passing issue and may simply go away. Sometimes they may be related to a crawl space issue and can be solved by controlling moisture and other factors in the crawl space. 

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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.

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When is mold remediation recommended?

Mold remediation is recommended when your home is showing signs of mold causing potential dry rot to the structure of your home or if it is causing health and/or indoor air quality issues that are impacting your family or health.

Our technicians can evaluate any mold under your home and make recommendations that will determine if you need actual remediation procedures or if you simply need to control any moisture underneath the home.

Mold requires a damp or wet environment to grow so controlling moisture will naturally reduce mold in your crawl space. Depending on the severity of mold under your home it may be simply a matter of stopping the moisture that allows mold to continue to grow and develop.

If there is extensive mold under your home or it has begun to dry rot the wood structures then remediation may be required. If mold is not severe, we may be able to treat through a simple mold wipe to remove surface growing mold and then manage future regrowth through moisture control methods. An assessment of your specific crawl space conditions is the best place to start.

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Is 50% of my indoor air really coming from my crawl space?

There is a lot of discussion about crawl space air polluting the air inside your home. Some claims say up to 50% of the air in your home is "dirty" crawl space air.  While for certain there is some air transfer between your crawl space and your home, the 50% claim is exaggerated and doesn't account for insulation, flooring, and other barriers that are in between your crawl space and your living spaces above.

This claim is mostly based on something called the stack effect. Everyone understands that hot air rises and cool air falls. The stack effect is most often associated with how draft works in a chimney but also can be applied to how air moves through your home. In the winter, warm air rises first to your second floor and then is lost through leaks in the roof and ceiling insulation, this change in pressure pulls air through your home to escape at the roof. In the summer the process is reversed as cooled air from the HVAC system seeks to "fall" as a result pushes warm air upward. This is why upstairs bedrooms are hotter than lower levels in the summer. In both seasons, this change in air pressure pulls air from the lowest point, your crawl space, so there is some air transfer but a claim of 50% is drastic.

If your crawl space is musty smelling, dirty and moldy and you are experiencing the same musty odor or seeing health related issues with mold or asthma inside your home then certainly your crawl space might be one place to start addressing this problem.

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