Crawlspace

Protect Your Investment From The Ground Up

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The Issue of Moisture

As much as 50% of the air in your home comes directly from the basement or crawlspace, bringing any available moisture and contaminates into your home from below. In the South Eastern United Stated, unfinished and open-vented crawlspaces are highly susceptible to high moisture levels from the earth, and the outside air. As a result, this excess moisture intrusion can cause many issues in the crawlspace:

Mold Growth on Floor Joist and Subfloor

Attractive environment to pests, spiders, termites, and various insects

Swelling and Buckling Floors

Sweating and Damp Ductwork; direct moisture intrusion

Galvanized Duct and Boot Rusting

Feature description

Mold-ridden and heavy, damp fiberglass insulation that often falls from the subfloor.

The Stack Effect


The effects of a nasty, damp crawlspace can be felt and seen in the home. The Stack Effect is a principle of physics describing the behavior of air, and its movement toward a less concentrated space. This explains the vacuum pull upward, into your home, that causes crawlspace moisture and pollutants to be a concern. Crawlspace air makes its way into the home above, through any nook it can.

These various micro organisms and debris circulate throughout the home, landing on walls, ceilings, furniture, interior ductwork, and other personal items. Note: The mold inside your home does not have to be growing actively within the home to be within the air makeup; it can grow inside the crawlspace and ascend into the home.

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Airborne Mold Spores

Particulates

Fibers

Dust

Pollen

Gaseous Vapors

The Process


Step 1: Crawlspace Mold Removal:

To fully fix crawlspace moisture issues, you must remove mold and moisture damage, then stop moisture intrusion at the sources:

We begin every job with airborne decontamination, using safe botanical disinfectants. This helps much of the airborne contaminates to fall to the ground.

HEPA air scrubbing machines are used in the home to mitigate any excess air intrusion during labor. Negative Air systems are set up to remove airborne particulate and mold from the crawlspace.

We remove any fiberglass insulation and rusted support rods, securely bag it, and transport it to the landfill.

Our technicians evaluate which physical tools are best for mold removal from the floor joists and subfloor. We use an advanced Hydrogen Peroxide to draw mold from the wood, allowing us to aggressively clean the subfloor and joists. (Visible stain removal is not guaranteed, as using Bleach-based products in closed spaces can be very dangerous for technicians.)

We repeat our safe botanical disinfectant airborne on the new cleaned subfloor.

Note: Fiberglass insulation cannot be cleaned, and supports mold growth. (Currently, the use of fiberglass in crawlspaces is being phased out due to these findings)

Throughout the process, our technicians actively search for issues that may require your attention, such as:

downed electrical wires

downed/damaged ductwork

disconnected plumbing pipes/fittings

potential foundation failures / wood rot

intrusion points in foundation walls

intrusion points from crawlspace into home

We will note these instances for the client and take photos. Carolina Mold Solutions is a mold remediation specialist; we are not certified in HVAC, plumbing, or foundation repair.


Blue and Clean: The Vapor Barrier Liner

No two vapor barriers are made the same. We use an industry leading anti-microbial vapor barrier to separate your crawlspace from the earth, isolating moisture within the soil and protecting your home; its durability is comparable to a swimming pool liner, giving you the best moisture protection. The barrier is secured snug around columns and extended up the foundation walls (distance up walls dependent on individual job needs). The seams between large pieces are overlapped one foot, and secured with air-sealing tape made specifically for our vapor barrier. The barrier is secured on the foundation walls with secure shallow wall fasteners. Note: any previous existing vapor barrier will be removed from the crawlspace pre-installation.

Seal off your Foundation Air Vent

Prevent outdoor air and humidity from entering your basement and crawlspace; insulate to keep good thermals in. We use K-Flex Brand adhesive insulation to seal your vents.

Air Tight Seal

Stop outdoor air from entering your crawlspace; no foundation work needed. We apply SPF Spray Foam to create an airtight seal.

Practically Invisible

Your vents will looks the same, as we seal from the inside of the crawlspace.

Optional Add-Ons

 

Discuss with us what special requirements your crawlspace or basement needs:

  • SPF Spray foam can provide extra thermal and moisture insulation along the foundation walls if needed.
  • Wrapped piers with vapor barrier may be useful depending on soil type, to prevent humidity intrusion.
  • Basin dredging prep for sub-contractor sump-pump installation.
  • Sub-barrier Drainage matting is sometime needed on rockier and rougher ground, to allow for comfortable movement over vapor barrier.
  • New Crawlspace doors: sometimes the previous doors are rusted off, non-sealing, or simply not there! We can provide a secure weather-resistant and thermally insulated option that easily installs around the existing door frame.


Crawlspace Conditioning

 

Sealed crawlspaces need to be conditioned to prevent stagnation, and to mitigate against small amounts of humidity intrusion.


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Air Supply Inducer

The 'set it, and forget it' solution for crawlspace conditioning. This simple mechanical object is installed directly on the main trunkline of your crawlspace duct system. Conditioned air will enter the crawlspace when the HVAC system is running, depressing the relative humidity levels.

No Backflow

Air is only allowed to flow forward into the crawlspace, not back into the air systen. An interior "diaphram" is triggered when the airflow comes from the air supply side.

No Power Needed

Air Supply Inducers are electricity free, and need no maintenance or filter changes.

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We Proudly Install Santa Fe Freestanding Dehumidifiers

Crawlspaces, basements, conditioned garages, and conditioned attics. Note: Servicing of dehumidifiers by Carolina Mold Solutions is a separate paid service.

Six Year Manufacturer Warranty

Santa Fe Dehumidifier come with 6 Year manufacture warrantees through Thermistor.*

Included Maintenance Instructions

Individual maintenance checklists and disclaimers will come with the installation of all free-standing Santa Fe Dehumidifiers to get the longest life from your machine.

Please ask about the proper sizing of your free-standing dehumidifier.

Santa Fe Compact 70
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Benefits of Encapsulation

Our Crawlspace Encapsulation System can help ensure a Cleaner, and more Comfortable home, for your Family.

Resale Value

Deep dive into metrics customized for your business and measure goals.

Better Environment

Cleaner air quality for you and your family

CL100 Compliant

Termite inspection compliant; all inspection spots are visible for technicians.

Energy Savings

Eliminate busywork by automating repetitive administrative tasks.

More Benefits

Helps lower HVAC heating and cooling costs

Extends life of HVAC Equipment: Prevents sweating ducts and moisture damage to duct work.

Prevents entry to pests, spiders, termites, and various insects.

Help prevent cold floors in the winter.

Reduces airborne contaminates in crawlspace, helping prevent smells and odors in crawlspace and in home.

Prevents Moisture Intrusion into crawlspace.

Helps to prevent future mold growth

Less heat loss on plumbing pipes

Service Areas

Mold and Moisture Issues Need Expert Attention

We service the following cities and the areas, including but not limited to:

Charleston

Myrtle Beach

Georgetown

Hilton Head

Beaufort

Columbia

We service the other many surrounding cities and counties as well! Contact us to see if we service you're area!

The Process

Phone Consultation

Tell us the reason you contacted us, and what concerns you have about your specific job.

Site Inspection

Full moisture and visual inspection of jobsite. This allows us to find the source of the issues plaguing your home.

Free Estimate

Our quotes are good for 60 days; we give you line item options to meet your home's specific needs.

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