Belleville MI – Wet and Moldy Crawlspace Repair
This particular home was located on Quirk Rd. in Belleville, and their crawlspace was extremely wet and moldy. Adding to the concern was the fact that the homeowner was on oxygen and struggling to breathe. Having to deal with mold particles in the air only made things worse.
Ben has been in the construction industry for over 25 years, with the last 15 years dedicated to foundation repair. He combines this with a decade of experience in the HVAC field, where he worked as a licensed installer and service technician. More
Take it to your inbox!
Subscribe now for homeowner tips, podcast updates and more.
If you live in Belleville you know that there is very high water table, so most of the homes are built on crawlspaces. We’ve done a lot of jobs in Belleville and the majority of the homes we inspect in this area have extreme moisture issues that tend to cause mold, mildew and rotted wood. We came out to the house and inspected the crawlspace and as you can see from the pictures it had a lot of moisture that needed to be addressed.
Due to the dark, damp conditions typically found in most crawlspaces, you’re always going to be fighting with mold and mildew. Mold can be dangerous, causing respiratory problems particularly in children, elderly, and immuno-compromised individuals. It’s also not that uncommon to see mold as a contributing cause of sinus infections, allergies and other symptoms. It can cause all sorts of nasty problems!
As warm air rises, cool air from the crawlspace is sucked into the living areas of your home. This is called the “stack effect”, which is also the same way a chimney works. This, combined with other factors, means that a significant amount of the air you breathe actually comes from your crawlspace. Additionally, if your crawlspace has too much moisture in it, the wood that supports your home will begin to rot, causing structural problems.
By reducing moisture, soil gases, mold, mildew and improving the overall air quality in your crawlspace, the air you breathe in your home will be cleaner and healthier.
Click the above image for the full view.
To solve these problems, we first remove the standing water from the crawlspace and then begin the process of encapsulating the space to prevent the recurrence of moisture. This encapsulation process involves installing a moisture barrier, which forms a seal between the ground where moisture is present, and the crawlspace and underside of your home. We seal and insulate the bond/rim joist as well, to ensure the full crawlspace is sealed from moisture that could potentially creep back in.
Consider the benefits of Crawlspace Encapsulation:
- Reduction of smell – no more musty smells coming up from your crawlspace
- Air quality – it’s not just the smell that goes away, but the allergens, mold and other nasty particles that are reduced or eliminated
- Energy savings – insulation of the crawlspace leads to reduced energy costs of 20-40%
- Moisture reduction – destructive moisture that can cause wood to rot and damage to your foundation is reduced or eliminated
- Soil gasses – gases, such as the silent killer “Radon” are reduced or eliminated from entering the home once encapsulation of the crawlspace is complete
- Extra storage – with the water gone, you now have additional storage space and easier access for maintenance
With home on Quirk Rd, we installed a sump pump in the crawlspace to ensure proper drainage of water that tries to creep into the crawlspace from below. Our sump pumps include 24/7 monitoring so you can ensure it’s always working down below to keep your home free of moisture.
Two months after we finished the crawlspace encapsulation in Belleville, the owner called to tell us that he is breathing much better, and thanked us for the help! This is exactly the sort of outcome we work for and it’s rewarding for us to be able to provide this service to our customers!
