Crawl Space Repair Photo Album: Understanding Humidity in the Crawl Space - Arlington, WA
The average humidity levels in the crawl space should never exceed 45%-55%. Anything higher indicates there is a high humidity issue that can cause severe damage to your home. Relative humidity is how full of water the air is and it increases as the crawl space has water intrusions which then evaporates into the air. When the humidity reaches those high percentages, this creates the perfect atmosphere for mold and mildew to grow and wood to rot. This can cause irreparable structural damage to your home and end up costing the homeowners thousands of dollars to fix. For this homeowner, they found that their crawl space was at 78% humidity and was infested with mold. In order to solve this issue, they had a mold remediation company address the mold and then reached out to John's Waterproofing about encapsulating their crawl space and controlling the atmosphere so this couldn't occur again. The entire purpose of an encapsulation is to be able to regulate the environment and control the humidity so mold and mildew wont grow. We ensure this by first installing a drainage system. This is laying a perforated pipe along the interior perimeter of the crawl space and connecting it to a TripleSafe sump pump. These two work together to keep water out of the crawl space and away from the homes foundation. Next, we install a thick insulation foam, TerraBlock, that separates the home from earth by sealing the crawl space from the dirt floor. Because crawl spaces are naturally cool, TerraBlock helps keep warm air from getting in and making the humidity go up. A CleanSpace vapor barrier is installed over top of the TerraBlock, up the foundation walls, and between the footing and wooden posts. This is what keeps water out of the crawl space so it can't evaporate into the air. We also install a SaniDry dehumidifier that pulls moisture out of the air to keep the crawl space dry and healthy. Lastly, Spray Foam is applied along the foundation walls as a final insulator and air sealant. After this encapsulation is completed, the system can keep the humidity at the perfect level all year round and help to prohibit future mold growth.
High Humidity Levels in the Crawl Space.
Upon inspection, we measured with a Hygrometer and found that this crawl space had a 78% humidity level which is too high for any healthy crawl space.
Falling Fiberglass Insulation.
With high humidity, fiberglass insulation absorbs the moisture in the air and becomes loose. Once it falls from the sub-floor it can no longer serve its purpose of properly insulating the home.
Debris and Mold Growth.
Because there was a water issue, dirt and debris was coming into the crawl space and as that water evaporates into the air it allows for mold to grow.
Exposed Earth in Crawl Space.
The vapor barrier was water damaged and exposing the earth beneath which is a perfect spot for rising groundwater to enter into the crawl space.
Mold Ruining the Homes Wood.
The wooden posts are what stabilize the home and as they absorb water they mold and rot, which negates their function of being able to support the home.
