Henderson, KY Crawlspace becomes a Healthy Space

Wednesday, March 19th, 2014 by Cassi Sherman Henes

Challenge

The homeowners in Henderson, KY realized that something was wrong in their crawlspace when their heating and air conditioning bills were extremely high, but the house still seemed chilly in the winter and hot in the summer. In addition, there was a pervasive odor throughout the house whenever the heat or A/C kicked on that smelled like something was rotting.

Healthy Spaces sent out an expert in crawlspace encapsulation and repair to determine how best to help the homeowners have a more energy efficient home with higher indoor air quality.

Upon inspection, there was mold present in the basement along the subfloor and on the existing black vapor barrier. The crawlspace would require extensive mold mitigation prior to being encapsulated.

Solution

First, the Healthy Spaces team needed to utilize Bio-cide and Forticell in order to kill the existing mold and fungus in the crawlspace. After properly removing the debris from the mold remediation, Richard Cline and his Cleanspace installation team installed 1032 linear feet of SilverGlo wall insulating product under 2496 sqft of Cleanspace. SilverGlo is an R-11 wall insulation that will not mold or promote fungus growth like traditional rolled insulation, so it is perfect to create an energy efficient crawlspace environment when coupled with CleanSpace. The CleanSpace engineered film will not rip or tear and will keep moisture out of the crawlspace so that the homeowners won't have to worry about mold growth or a higher than recommended relative humidity.

They also installed 10 CleanSpace vent covers, 1 Everlast Crawlspace Door, and a Sanidry CX tied into the Smart Sump Pump system. These additional items are what makes the CleanSpace system really efficient! The vent covers will keep out the moist outside air, allowing the HVAC system to recirculate conditioned air throughout the home without having to constantly kick on to manage the influx of outdoor air coming in through the crawlspace. The Everlast Crawlspace door will also create a closed environment because it is keeps out the outside air as well.

The best part of the system is the extremely quiet and efficient Sanidry CX dehumidifier. It's specifically designed to operate in crawlspaces and will keep the indoor humidity in the crawlspace at or below recommended levels. It's an Energy Star rated product.

Project Summary

Project Foreman: Richard Cline

Here is the crawlspace as you come into it from the access point. You can see that there is mold present on the black vapor barrier.

Here is a photo of the mold mitigation in progress. The Healthy Spaces team has sprayed powerful mold killing chemicals onto the old vapor barrier and then will remove it.

Regular vapor barriers will deteriorate due to UV rays causing a chemical reaction in the plastic. Cleanspace vapor barrier is specifically mixed in a way that prohibits that chemical reaction, allowing the liner to remain in great condition.

All the black plastic has been removed and properly disposed of and the installation team has begun laying out the CleanSpace on the floor.

In this picture, you can see the telltale gleam of SilverGlo installed along the walls. The crew will be covering the SilverGlo with CleanSpace and sealing up the system shortly.

In this photo, the crew has completed the CleanSpace installation. CleanSpace is guaranteed not to rip or tear for 25 years and the white color makes even the darkest crawlspaces brighter.

In this photo, you can see the crew laying the discharge line for the sump pump system with Sanidry CX attached. The discharge line is being place far out in the yard so any water that is pumped out of the crawlspace does not flow back in.

The discharge line installation is complete and the sod restored over the line. Soon, you won't be able to tell where the line is buried!

The crew also installed 10 CleanSpace Vent Covers over the vents in the crawlspace. By covering these vents properly, the homeowners will see increased energy efficiency in their HVAC system and lower heating and cooling bills.

Here is the finished Vent Cover installation. As you can see, the covers are flat and because they are manufactured from a durable, rigid plastic, they will remain looking nice even after seasons of exposure.

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.

Henderson, KY Crawlspace becomes a Healthy Space

Challenge

Solution

Project Summary

About the author

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