Healthy Spaces Before & After Photos

The owners of this home in Sebree, Kentucky came to Healthy Spaces with the complaint that their living room smelled musty, old, and constantly dirty. Clearly, this is not the most pleasant smell to have in your home. The living room was built over a basement used for storing old belongings they no longer used, which was the culprit of the smell. Design Specialist, Damon Cheatham, was sent to perform an inspection and discuss options with the homeowners. 

In the ceiling of this basement, there was mold growth due to moisture in the space. Mold thrives in dark, moist environments where organic materials are present. This is the reason why basements and crawl spaces are perfect places for mold to grow. In this basement, we did a mold remediation treatment so the family had a clean and safe space below them.

Mold is one of a homeowner's worst fears because it damages property, causes illness, makes a basement smell like a basement, and too often makes the whole house smell like the basement. If you have a mold problem caused by water or moisture in your basement or crawl space, Healthy Spaces offers proven waterproofing, moisture control, and mold treatment solutions. Call for your free estimate today. 

A family reached out to us from Sebree, KY, exclaiming that their crawl space was remaining damp and after heavy rain, there was standing water present on the ground of the crawl space. The family needed the crawl space to be sealed and treated in hopes to create a dry space. Standing water in the crawl space was an apparent issue that needed to be taken care of, such as the access well openings that were not closed properly. If access well openings are not properly sealed, water and outside air can seep through, damaging the home's health. When there s standing water inside any home, it is urgent to find the problem and create a solution. 

The water leakage culprit was poorly tightened and sealed access wells that were located outside of the crawl space. The access wells were repaired by putting new covers to keep out any water or outside air. CleanSpace, which is a 20 mil, bright white liner, that is laid across the crawl space floor to provide a vapor barrier for the space. The liner prevents air and water from entering the atmosphere of the crawl space, which will resolve the standing water issue. A SmartSump pump and SaniDry Sedona are installed to pump water out of the crawl space and to create a continuous dry air flow. With a dry crawl space, the family is guaranteed to have a healthy home without unsafe risks. 

Homeowner John B., in Albion, IL started noticing water building up in his crawl space. If left alone, humidity and excess moisture can lead to mold growth, wood rot, and pest infestations. Crawl space moisture often migrates upstairs through the "stack effect," contributing to structural damage, musty odors, and high energy bills. 

Our team first had to go in and perform mold remediation. Next our team installed a waterproofing system in the crawl space that included a SmartSump Crawl Space sump pump system and EZ Flow Drainage. The last step was to install a durable vapor barrier made of a 20-mil material similar to a pool liner called CleanSpace. CleanSpace® 20 mil vapor barrier is puncture and tear resistant. An anti-microbial agent is blended into the liner to kill mold and bacteria. John will now have peace of mind knowing that his crawl space in Albion, IL is clean and dry. 

A home in Albion, IL, had a basement with a poor drainage system that persisted for many years. The block walls contained horizontal cracking, which was caused by the foundation settlement. Cracked walls can be a scary sight, but luckily, it is treatable.  When the soil around the home has experienced heavy rainfall, that is now drying up, the foundation is affected. The soil will expand when wet and shrink when dry, causing the foundation to move and form cracks. 

The GeoLock Wall Anchor system is engineered to stop wall failure and will perform in any soil type. This system requires soil on the outside of the foundation for the steel rods to be secured. The wall anchor system can fix severed problems such as leaning walls and wall sliding in at the bottom. The process presents minimal disturbance from installation. The homeowner was satisfied with the finished result!

Mold is never a good thing.  Sometimes, it's caused by a flooding crawlspace, increased groundwater, and other easy to combat issues.  Other times, the source of the moisture feeding the mold is a bit harder to detect.  In this Corydon, KY home, the source of the moisture took several months to discover and by that time, the mold growth was explosive!  The problem began with a small leak in the line coming out from the washing machine.  It was a dripping that traveled along the pipe and was virtually undetectable because it was happening within the walls.  After time, the surrounding area was so moist that the drywall collapsed upon itself at a touch.  The surrounding carpet and pad, subfloor, and pipes were all covered in a thick layer of mold.  

As you can see in the before picture, the mold was growing all over the area, which was hidden beneath the house and was only visible in the crawlspace.  It wasn't until a design specialist from Healthy Spaces took a look at the crawlspace that the damage was finally revealed.  It's suspected that the leak had been occurring for at least 9 months before it was severe enough to be detected.

The after photo shows the amazing difference that the mold remediation team at Healthy Spaces created.  They treated the affected area with Biocide and Forticell to kill the mold, then thoroughly scrubbed every surface to remove the spores and dead mold.  After removing the debris, they made sure the leak had been resolved and were able to repair any damage from the mold in the subfloor.