My home's crawl space smells moldly and the smell permeates the house. I done plastic, dehumidifier, etc.. what's next?

My home's crawl space smells moldly and the smell permeates the house. I done plastic, dehumidifier, etc.. what's next Asked by newbie394650 60 months ago Similar questions: home's crawl space smells moldly smell permeates house plastic dehumidifier Home.

Similar questions: home's crawl space smells moldly smell permeates house plastic dehumidifier.

And Insulate Dirt Crawl SpacesDirt crawl spaces are usually damp from water evaporating from the ground below and from water flowing into the crawl space. Ground soil has a very high humidity level.In a dirt crawl space or dirt floor basement, water vapor is constantly leaving the ground and entering your home. Typical homeowner mistakes are: * Using these spaces for storage * Venting the clothes dryer into the crawl space * Installing heating and ventilation equipment which draws air from the crawl space * Lack of an effective moisture barrier * Improper installation of insulation * gh humidity levels * Allowing uncontrolled mold growthThe following photograph illustrates how you could improve a dirt crawl space by cleaning it, laying down a moisture barrier, and correctly installing insulation.

Asements and crawl spaces are more prone to fostering mold growth than any other level in the home.In basements and crawl spaces, periodically examine these areas for any evidence of dampness and mold growth that might be taking place in the building materials. A mold infestation in the framing can spread to other parts of the home, or lead to the weakening of beams and other bearing walls that are crucial in the stability of the structure. Airborne mold spores from the crawl space can travel in air currents or in heating and cooling ventilation systems (or air ducts) and cross-contaminate your entire home.

A concrete floor, with an intact and functioning moisture barrier beneath the concrete AND plenty of waterproofing compound, helps to prevent crawl space mold. However, even concrete basements with concrete floors are spaces that typically have very high humidity levels which should be reduced to prevent damage and mold growth. Purchase an inexpensive humidity sensor or weather station for your basement or crawl space.

Then, reduce humidity to acceptable levels with dehumidification equipment which discharges into a sump pump or away from the home. If you have done all this....http://www.inspect-ny.com/sickhouse/moldondirt.htmMOLD ON DIRT FLOORS: Mold on Dirt in Basements & Crawl SpacesSeveral people have asked what to do about mold found growing on crawl space dirt or on a dirt basement floor. I've often seen orange and yellow molds and yeasts growing on wet dirt in these areas.

Depending on genera/species a mold growing on dirt might be toxic, pathogenic, or allergenic, though in my experience (warning, I am not a mycologist) I haven't come across dirt-growing molds that were species that were airborne - at least not at the time of my inspection and under wet conditions. So the chance that such a mold passes throughout a building as problem spores is lower than otherwise. Still, one would want to be careful not to get mold in a cut, or in your eye, even if it does not appear to be an airborne species that can be easily inhaled.

Mold might also be growing apparently on dirt but actually on something that spilled or was left atop the dirt - which could mean other fungal species than the soil fungi I just cited. In any case if there is only a small amount of mold - a few square feet - it's reasonable for a homeowner to remove the visible mold and surface soil - just an inch or less. There may be fungal components deeper in the soil, but we're going to address that by drying out the area rather than digging up the whole house.

If the area of mold is large, more than 30 sq.ft. , and if it's not a harmless cosmetic mold, professional cleanup would be appropriate, but only after a competent and independent (independent from the cleaning company) inspection diagnosed the extent and cause of mold and thus provided you with a mold cleanup plan. If you see a large area of mold that appears homogenous in character (color, pattern, growth surface, etc) then it may be economical to collect a sample to send to an independent lab for identification (mine or any independent mold testing lab - I give instructions on how to collect mold samples at www.inspect-ny.com/sickhouse/bulksamp.htm )Any mold cleanup anywhere in a building, whether its on crawlspace dirt or basement soils, must be followed by a diagnosis and correction of the moisture source that invited the mold growth, or the mold problem will simply recur.

Furthermore, and possibly more important, soil mold in a basement or crawl space is an indicator of wet conditions, which means that more-problematic molds may be growing on wood or paper or other organic surfaces nearby - and may be more of a problem for building occupants. An inspection of wood framing and subfloor over a damp moldy dirt-crawl space or basement should be conducted using light and careful examination of the surfaces - see my online article about how to use light when looking for mold. If you have mold, get a pro.... Sources: http://wehomeinspect.com/homeowner_tip_of_the_month.htm .

Mold can’t live without a continual food and water source. Mold can be very dangerous and you need to find the source very soon. Once you know the source it is a matter of remediating the problem.

Chances are the mold is growing in one of your walls and the smell is traveling up into your crawl space. Your profile does not specify where your are located, but if you are in the southeast my company can perform the assessment to find the mold. You can message me if you want further help.

Insurance will typically pay for it. If you want to do try and find it yourself here is how I would do it, I do not warrent these steps as complete especially since I have not seen your house, and I highly recommend seaking a professional. In addition, when working around mold and bleach be sure to mear proper personal protective equipment.

If you want to make sure that it is actually mold you are smelling then you should have air and surface samples collected and have them compared to ambient conditions. These test will tell you how much and what types of mold you have. Then: 1) Find the water source.

You might want to have a professional roofer inspect your roof for a leak, or possibly a traveling leak. Or if you know what you are looking for, you can try it yourself. 2) If you know that your roof is not leaking, hook up a pressure gauge (can be found at home depot) to a hose bib on your house.

Turn off the water to your house (turn off all applicances that use water and make sure none of your sinks are leaking or dripping) if you are losing pressure (wait 2 hours) you have a leak somewhere in your plumbing. 3) Once you find and fix the leak, you need to remove any of the affected drywall/sheetrock. Then spray down the mold with bleach or other anti-mold agent to kill it.

Ozone will also kill the mold, but a commercial ozone generator is hard to come by. But you will also need to ventilate the spores using a hepa filter for several days. I highly recommend having this done professionally!4) You should collect air and surface samples and have them compared to ambient conditions to make sure that you have found all of the mold..

1 I'm thinking attic crawl space and awarulz is thinking below the house...

I'm thinking attic crawl space and awarulz is thinking below the house...

2 I was thinking attic crawl space also. We don't have crawl spaces under our homes in FL, so I didn't realize this was a possiility.

I was thinking attic crawl space also. We don't have crawl spaces under our homes in FL, so I didn't realize this was a possiility.

A "smell" question. Cold air return, crawl space underneath, right by the computer desk, it constantly smells musty.?

I cant really gove you an answer,but what I can give you is a way to a solution, that is you have to find the anglde that you relate to or peaks your interest. A good paper is one that people get drawn into because it reaches them ln some way.As for me WW11 to me, I think of the holocaust and the effect it had on the survivors, their families and those who stood by and did nothing until it was too late.