One of the absolute worst things to find out as a homeowner is that you have a mold infestation developing somewhere in the house. Everyone has probably seen mold forming in a typically moist location such as the bathroom shower or even growing on old food that has spent too long in the refrigerator. However, you know you have a serious issue when there is a severe mold problem growing behind the wallpaper, below the floorboards, or in the crawl space.
To keep your home a safe environment for you and your family rather than an ideal environment for mold issues to begin, it is important to keep your crawl space clean. A clean crawl space is an important aspect of home maintenance that most homeowners often overlook. However, a damp crawl space can be the breeding ground for mold spores and eventually affect your indoor air quality.
At Mold Removal Indianapolis, our trained and certified technicians use only state-of-the-art equipment and the latest techniques to remove and remediate mold in any part of the house, including the crawl space. We have no problem getting into crawl spaces, evaluating the mold growth situation, and working diligently to remove it for you to ensure your family’s health is secured.
What Is a Crawl Space?
First, let us discuss what a crawl space is to know where to look for any funky smells that you cannot find in your home. A crawl space is an open area beneath the house which sits between the ground (concrete, gravel, or soil) and the bottom of your home. Typically, the crawl space is made of cinder blocks with a brick facing while the house sits on the foundation walls.
Within the crawl space area, you will find access to the internal systems of your home, such as the air conditioning and heating, insulation, ductwork, plumbing, electrical wiring, and more. More often than not, most homeowners only think about the state of their crawl spaces when one of these systems starts to malfunction or act improperly, and a contractor needs to gain access to the crawl space (usually, there is a crawl space access door).
Why Is Crawl Space Cleaning So Important?
The crawl space is one of the most important places to check when there seems to be something threatening the home’s structural integrity. Most contractors will descend into the crawl space to look at the systems which are not functioning.
Suppose proper crawl space cleaning has not been completed. In that case, those contractors may face pest infestations (and lots of pest droppings), mold growth, moisture issues, spray foam insulation problems, and a reduction in the home’s air quality. Depending on the area’s state, crawl space repair may be necessary to reduce the risks that these unwanted guests and issues may cause.
How Can Mold Form in Crawl Spaces?
Although pests like rats, termites, cockroaches, wasps, wood-boring insects, and others are very common, they are not the worst enemy of crawl space integrity. While they can cause serious damage, moisture is the culprit behind most of the severe damage you find in a crawl space.
When mold grows in the crawl space, there may be poor ventilation, plumbing leaks, or flooding. When excess moisture has not been addressed and fixed through a crawl space vapor barrier, you could potentially face mold, mildew, rotting structural wood, and overall structural failure.
Mold thrives in moisture, darkness, and warmth. Underneath the safety of your house, mold growth can begin and thrive unabated until it is too late. It is important to consider installing vapor barriers in the crawl space. They can isolate the house from incoming moisture and ensure improved air quality for your home and family.
Benefits of Crawl Space Encapsulation
A great way to prevent moisture from building up in the crawl space is by installing a multi-tiered sealing system called an encapsulated crawl space. It manages humid air leaks in the crawl space and prevents damage to the wooden structures. No one wants to see wood rot developing in the crawl space!
Crawl space encapsulation is also beneficial for homeowners because it will be effective long-term. It is not a short-term solution, such as simply cleaning the crawl space. Be sure that any mold problems are properly remediated before installing the crawl space encapsulation system!
Contact Our Certified Indianapolis, IN, Mold Remediation Company
If you are a resident in the Indianapolis, IN, area and are dealing with a problem in your crawl space or smelling musty odors that do not seem to have a source, contact Mold Removal Indianapolis. We are happy to discuss the issues you are dealing with and the crawl space cost for cleaning, repair, and mold removal.
Our certified technicians are trained to seek out the musty smell at its source and work to eradicate it. We are happy to find it if you think it may be coming from your crawl space. We understand how devastating mold can be on the structural integrity and the health and well-being of the house’s occupants, and we are dedicated to removing mold for you.
Call Mold Removal Indianapolis for a free estimate on your crawl space mold removal service and learn more about our help with hassle-free insurance claims. We always respond fast to our customers’ calls because we know that their families and homes are on the line.
Our team follows all IICRC S520 & EPA guidelines throughout our mold remediation process, so you can rest assured your home is in good hands. Contact us now for a free consultation.