Crawlspace & Basement Solutions for Moisture & Structural Issues

For many of us in the San Francisco & Monterey bay areas, the unimproved basement or crawlspace of our homes is the root cause of many undesirable conditions tied to two major issues: Indoor air Quality (IAQ) and structural problems. The crawlspace is often the part of the home that is the initial source of:

• Allergies and Respiratory ailments
• Dry rot, mold, mildew, etc.
• Rodents and other pests such as termites  

Physically isolating the crawlspace air and controlling moisture in the crawlspace is the solution. Let’s discuss these two major issues below.

Indoor air Quality (IAQ)

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has raised IAQ to the #4 position among all environmental threats to Americans. The EPA claims that the indoor air we breathe is typically between two and five times more dangerous to us than the pollutants outside and occasionally holds 100 times more pollutants that that of average outdoor levels of pollutants (EPA, 2000). This is of major concern as most of us today spend about 90% of our time inside. Indoor air quality problems were found to often be subtle.  The EPA found that these dangerous IAQ issues do not always produce immediate or easily recognizable impacts on a person’s health and well-being either. The EPA found that children may be especially susceptible to IAQ issues. This is due to the fact that children have a smaller body mass than adults and breathe a greater volume of air relative to their body weight (EPA, 2000). High concentration of pollutants in homes can therefore be considered to be of greater risk to children.

IAQ conditions are caused by foreign particles that have entered into the space where you and your family breathe each day while either active in the home or when asleep. Sometimes we can actually smell things that affect the air we breathe such as musty odors which might indicate the presence of mold or mildew.  But unfortunately, most of the harmful particles in the home that cause you and your family allergic reactions and respiratory distress are completely odorless. Often present are harmful allergens such as microscopic mold spores, fiberglass strands, rodent residue (hairs, rodent droppings and urine which have broken down into tiny micro particles capable of being suspended in the air) and many more.  But worse, most people are completely unaware of the fact that the air in their homes can contain known cancer-causing substances and gases such as Asbestos fibers and Radon gas.

Structural Problems

Unwanted moisture in the crawlspace causes damage to the home structure (dry rot, mold, mildew, etc.) that affect the health of our families and the value and safety of our homes. Structural problems related to crawlspace moisture causing significant damage to the structural integrity of bay area homes each year leading to tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars in costly and avoidable repairs. Additionally, the crawlspace is often the entrance point for rodents to reach the interior of the home bringing with them rodent hair, fecal matter and urine.

You might have questions such as:

• How do I get rid of that musty smell?
• What is the best way to keep ground moisture, potentially harmful gases and other unhealthy particles from causing harm to me or my family?
• How do I prevent damage to the home structure (dry rot, mold, mildew and structural decay)?
• How do I keep that undesirable crawl space air from entering the actual living space above where me and my family live and breathe?  

The answer to each of these questions is the same - Physically isolating the crawlspace air from the space where your family lives and breathes and controlling the moisture in the crawlspace is the solution.

Crawlspace moisture control systems such as a full vapor barrier (a thick sheet of specialized material that is rolled out over the crawlspace dirt and up the sides of the foundation walls) attacks the root causes that lead to allergies, respiratory ailments, dry rot, mold, mildew, termites, and the presence of rodents and the other undesirable conditions discussed in the home.  

Click here to contact us at Residential today to get in contact with an expert to learn how we might be able to help you.