Photo Album: Three Major Problems in Haubstadt, IN Crawlspace Due to Moisture

There are three major problems affecting this crawlspace in Haubstadt, IN. 1. Sagging, warped, bent subfloor joists, 2. Poor indoor air quality from mold growth, and 3. Pest infestation. There is a common cause to all three of these issues: a moist crawlspace. Basically, this unsealed, vented dirt floor crawlspace has such a high relative humidity that moisture is condensing throughout the crawlspace. It's causing warping of all wood present, rotting of the wood from mold growth, increasing asthma like symptoms in the children living in the home, and pest infestation. Here's a look at the problems that you might be encountering if your dirt floor crawlspace has an inadequate vapor barrier, water intrusion, and subsequent structural damage.

Sagging Subfloor Joist due to moisture in Haubstadt Crawlspace

In this picture, you can see how mold has started to eat away at this wooden subfloor joist. The moisture needed to promote mold growth also causes other problems--this joist is warping, causing the floors above to squeak and sag.

Pipes bending under strain in Haubstadt Crawlspace

An additional problem with warping and compromised subflooring is that it puts additional pressure on the copper piping that runs under the floor. The copper now has to flex and bend because the floor is not level.

New Joist on Right, Old Joist on Left

In this picture, you can see that there is a fairly new wooden subfloor joist on the right and an older, mold covered one on the left. What this tells an inspector, and our crawlspace experts is that the problem with crawlspace moisture has been going on for a very long time and the root cause of the problem has not been remedied. What is the root cause? Check out the next picture.

Groundwater Flooding in Haubstadt, IN Crawlspace

In this picture you can see how the homeowners had placed painter's plastic down in order to crawl through their crawlspace. The water coming into the space was causing mud on the floor and increasing the relative humidity to the point where there was rampant mold growth.

Plastic not Sufficient to create a Conditioned Haubstadt Crawlspace

In this overview, you can see how the painter's plastic is promoting, not helping, the crawlspace moisture problem. The plastic has condensation on top of it, which shows us that the air in the crawlspace is so humid that it clearly needs a dehumidification system like a Sanidry unit installed.

Mold Remediation in Haubstadt

There are two problems to focus on in this picture. The first is the rampant mold growth on the silver pipe on the left--that's the HVAC system. It's covered in mold and that system is drawing that contaminated air up into the rest of the house. The second problem is the wooden joist on the right--it has bent in such a way that it is flush with the system closest to the subfloor, but warps away near the bottom. This is placing a strain on the HVAC system and can lead to a loss of energy efficiency over time.

HVAC System pumping unhealthy air into home

The HVAC system in this crawlspace is drawing in air from moist, mold spore-ridden area and disbursing that into the rest of the house. This has been known to cause an increase in allergies, onset of asthma or asthma-like problems such as reactive airway dysfunction in children and adults. The best way to get nice, clean air into your home is to start with the crawlspace. Create a sealed, conditioned space there and your entire family will breathe better.

Spiders and other pests in Haubstadt, IN Crawlspace

Another complication that occurs with a moist crawlspace is pest infestations. Here, you can see spider webs. Spiders move in to crawlspaces because there are plenty of crickets and other pests to eat. Pests enter a crawlspace because there is an abundance of mold and fungi to eat, and plenty of moisture. Stop the cycle--lower relative humidity and you can rid yourself of pests, too!