Pest and Mold Problems Resolved in Radcliff, KY

Monday, June 25th, 2018 by Cassi Sherman Henes

Challenge

The homeowners in Radcliff, KY called Healthy Spaces after having Swat Pest out to resolve a spider infestation problem in their 1300 sq ft crawlspace. These homeowners realized that the spiders were attracted to the crickets and other critters who were living in the crawlspace. These other critters were attracted to the moisture and mold growing in the crawlspace. An additional challenge that was discovered by the Healthy Spaces Project Manager, Damon Cheatham, was that two of the support posts had degraded and been inexpertly replaced. This was causing the main level floor to sag, squeak, and feel spongy. In one corner of the living room, the china cabinet would shake each time someone walked across the room and the heirloom china plates would shift and fall off their hangers. The homeowners were upset because two plates had broken and 4 others were chipped.

Solution

The homeowners decided to permanently encapsulate the crawlspace to isolate it from the ground moisture with CleanSpace and replace the support posts with SmartJacks to stop the floor from shaking.

The first step in the repair process was to have Swat Pest take care of the pest infestation.

Second, the installation team installed new SmartJacks in the crawlspace in order to stabilize the sagging crawlspace floor. These SmartJacks are adjustable, so the team was able to completely eliminate the sagging and squeaking.

Next, the installation crew removed the spiderwebs, insulation, and debris from the crawlspace. The team then regraded the crawlspace to create a smoother floor to lay the Cleanspace on. The homeowners elected to have the team place dimple roll underneath the Cleanspace to further cushion the floor and collect water.

Finally, the Cleanspace vapor barrier was rolled out over the dimple roll and wrapped around the base of the SmartJacks and up the walls. Pinkie Roll was then attached to the crawlspace walls to completely isolate the crawlspace from the ground.

Project Summary

Project Manager: Damon Cheatham

The home had great access, so bringing in supplies and removing debris was not a problem.

Here is a shot of the subfloor. If you look along the joist, you can see that it is not flush and straight.

In this picture, you can see that this joist is straight

Here, you can see where temporary bracing was installed in an attempt to stop the floor above from squeaking.

Here is the first support post that has been replaced incorrectly. The 2x4's are insufficient to carry the load required and this area of the floor above sags visibly.

Here are more spider webs. The spiders were drawn to the crawlspace because there was abundant moisture and food.

Besides the spiderwebs and the signs of termites on the joists, you can also see the mold that is growing in this crawl space. This is due to the high humidity.

The north corner of the crawlspace had the most spiderwebs and they spotted several black widows in the webbing.

Here is the second support post that isn't supporting the floor above adequately. It's hard to see from this angle, but there is a 1/2 inch gap at the top between the blocks and the joist.

Here's an overview of the debris that was removed from the crawlspace.

This shot shows the degradation of the joists due to the critter infestation.

The crew regraded the crawlspace prior to installing the dimple roll.

Here is the finished regrading and the frog in the corner is another clear sign of the humidity in this crawl space. Next, the crew will be rolling out the dimple roll, then installing the Cleanspace.

Finally, the Cleanspace is installed, efffectively isolating the crawlspace from the damp ground. This lowers the relative humidity, making the crawlspace a cleaner, healthier space.

About the author

Cassi Sherman Henes

Cassi holds over 15 years experience in the construction, real estate, and education industries. She is certified in foundation repair technology, soil dynamics, and system design from the Foundation Supportworks Institute.

Related Customer Feedback

"Healthy Spaces gave me an estimate to put a huge humidifier in the basement. The quote was good. Their..."

- Judy E., Radcliff, KY

Pest and Mold Problems Resolved in Radcliff, KY

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