I am wondering if you live in a humid part of the country and if you have had concrete poured in your crawlspace to deter dampness and mold? If so, how do you feel about it? Do you believe it substantially decreased the humidity levels under your house? Was it worth the financial investment? I have a french drain along my foundation and a moisture tarp barrier but I still have mold problems. Thanks for your feedback! :-)
2007-08-09 16:51:19 · 5 answers · asked by americansneedtowakeup 5 in Home & Garden ➔ Maintenance & Repairs
My house smells musty and kind of moldy. I do have cross ventilation but apparently it is not sufficient? There are a lot of folks out there who would like to take my money by installing fans, high powered dehumidifiers, scraping away mold, installing new heavy-duty moisture barriers, more drains and sump-pumps. I've heard it all. And it is ALL expensive. Now I am looking into concrete ...
2007-08-09 17:29:11 · update #1
concrete or dirt you'll still have ventalation & moisture issues.
Get thick milled plastic to cover crawl space floor, Duct tape where plastic seams meet & install a dehumidifier.
Otherwise call in the pros.
2007-08-10 02:31:12 · answer #1 · answered by Skull 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
In Canada a friend had a high efficiency furnace installed. Humidity levels went to 75 percent, it was actually dripping in some spots. He had a mud crawlspace. Mold became a problem.
Caulked and plastic vapour barrier cut most of the problem. Then ventilation had to be added to the cold air supply duct as the furnace is too efficient in some ways. It seems counter productive to open up your house to more ventilation (cold air) but a neccesary evil. Using a dehumidifier as well he can now get his home down to 25 percent humidity in -30 weather. 35 percent this summer with outside humidity at 60 percent.
Low humidity also reduces your chances of getting mold. Mold can be deadly, clean it up.
2007-08-09 17:40:08 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
To tell you the truth mold grows everywhere, whether you see it or not. The more potentially dangerous molds grows inside where it's dark or there's moisture. To answer your question, you have to ask yourself, Will it be getting Light, how much light and like moss grows on the north side of a tree....that's also where you find most mold also. Because the sun does go East to West but only on the Southside of the tree. I hope this will help you along in your quest for less mold and good luck ! !
2007-08-09 16:58:28 · answer #3 · answered by johnithan k 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I agree with venting. Most cases I have seen use a durable cover (tarp, plastic. etc.) to seal the moisture into the earth. Check with a building supplier for which material is best for your area and durability.
2007-08-09 19:36:10 · answer #4 · answered by len b 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
My crawl space just has rock in it. There are also ventilation openings to keep the air circulating.
2007-08-09 17:22:27 · answer #5 · answered by Fordman 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋