Do You Have A Damp Crawl Space? Better Read This First

Any contractor knows that areas of moisture in the crawl space is an accident waiting to happen. While a damp dark crawl space may look harmless, it has to power to drain your wallet in a mad rush. Let me share a story with you...

Early last month, we were called in to inspect a crawl space. The chief complaint was bad smells that could were reaching in the lower level of the home. Just a simple odor, nothing too complicated, right? WRONG!

Moisture In The Crawl Space

We quickly realized that the odor was the least of their worries.

Here's the thing, if you have moisture in your crawl space, the time to act is now.

What did Bob and Diana find out about their crawl space? Black mold.

Don't think black mold is a problem? Think again.

Black mold can kill you. In fact, Bob and Diana have 4 children. All of them were at risk.

Black mold wasn't the only problem. The floor joist were ruined. The home, one worth $350,000 was near ready to cave in. They didn't have a choice and the price tag was big, over $15,000.

If you have moisture in the crawl space, the time to act is now. Trust me, it only gets worse.

What Can Homeowners Do?

First, you need to evaluate your crawl space and determine what's going on.

You will need to encapsulate the crawl space.

You can use crawl space vapor barriers for the crawl space floors and crawl space walls.

Now, there's a few things you should know. First, it needs to be a vapor barrier designed for the crawl space. Make sure you remember that. Next, you need to make sure you're really getting what you pay for.

While there's a number of different crawl space vapor barriers that can be used, we recommend using the highest rated in the market. That would be the SilverBack brand that comes in a 12 mil and 20 mil size.

You'll also need to seal your foundation vents. A crawl space dehumidifier is another item that may be needed, depending on your scenario.

If you have no structure damage, you're lucky. You can walk away with an investment for a few thousand. Hopefully, that's the case. If not, the cost could be more.