Mold and Moisture Control in Mt Vernon, IN

Wednesday, July 25th, 2018 by Kelsey Bullerdick

Challenge

This crawl space in Mt Vernon, IN was in desperate need of our help. The crawl space was full of moisture, and mold thrives in this type of environment. When mold grows it reproduces more airborne seeds to grow more mold. Mold spores float through the air - think of dandelion seeds in the wind. The wife and daughter who reside in this home, have terrible allergies and they began noticing how their allergies were getting worse. They decided to call Healthy Spaces for a free inspection so they could assess what was happening down below.

Solution

Design Specialist, Abe Ford, entered the crawl space and was able to quickly identify exactly why the wife and daughter were having allergy issues. You'll see in the before photos how unhealthy their crawl space was.

Abe proposed a solution that would eliminate the mold and prevent it from coming back. To begin, the Healthy Spaces team had to seal off the crawl space to prevent any further contamination. Next, we used a vacuum that removes loose contaminants from the surfaces. This step is very important to prevent disturbing mold spore, making them airborne and decreasing contamination control. The third step consists of using a product that cleans beyond the soil load and accomplished total source removal leaving behind a contaminate free surface. The last step is to apply a surface protection that is water and mold resistant.

Once the mold has been treated for, it's important to install a vapor barrier which prevents water vapor and humidity from passing through.

These Mt Vernon homeowners will finally have some peace of mind knowing that their home is healthier and the wife and daughter will not have to worry about mold flaring up their allergies!

Project Summary

Design Specialist: Abe Ford

Installing Contractor: Healthy Spaces

You can see foil-faced insulation hanging from the ceiling. Insulation does little when it's either not in a closed cavity or when it's damp.

Insulation is "mold candy." Mold grows on insulation because it has some organic material in the resin used to set the fibers.

Here you can see mold taking over on the floor joists. If left alone, it will eventually rot your floor out.

Here you can see fuzzy moss like growth.

The white chalky powder on the crawl space wall is a mineral residue that manifests as white powder or crystals known as efflorescence.

The presence of mold growth and dispersion of mold spores will reduce the indoor air quality of your home. Mold, however, will not cause structural damage.

Mold's cousin, decay fungi, needs the same conditions mold does to cause decay.

When the minerals in concrete dissolve in water, they can end up as deposits on the surface of a wall or floor.

Efflorescence is not harmful (unless you eat it) and can be easily swept or brushed off. It's a sign that water is (probably slowly) coming through the concrete.