Troubleshooting a Smelly Crawl Space
Our products seal the crawl space to
control mold, mildew, rot and moisture.
We install over ten of thousand CleanSpace jobs every year with happy customers all over the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. Some crawl spaces are more difficult than others and some have been a problem for a long time. We follow the four steps to fixing a crawl space every time; even then we find every homeowner is as unique as their crawl space. Every once in a while we encounter a crawl space where a musty smell may occur after installation. We have found that this can occur in an estimated one percent of all crawl spaces. Sometimes it is noticed the day of installation, sometimes weeks, months, or even years later. Below are listed our top ten things to check and what to do for each crawl space:
1. Check the liner for openings and make sure the liner is properly taped and caulked around the perimeter, all joints and piers.
2. Make sure that you have completely sealed out all outside air from entering the crawl space around pipe penetrations and wire chases.
3. Make sure all vents are covered and the crawl space door is plastic and airtight.
4. Dehumidify the space with a SaniDry dehumidification system, try installing the optional carbon activated filter.
5. Make sure that there are no dryer vents or other air entering the crawl space.
6. Check for rodent droppings and other signs of pests. If there are rodents, their urine, droppings and dead bodies will cause oders.
If odors persist - here are more extreme measures to take to try to eliminate them:
7. If duct-work is un-insulated, make sure all joints are sealed.
8. Remove all fiberglass insulation from the flooring system, and treat with Moldex.
9. Install a radon fan and pull air from under the liner to the outside.
10. If mold is present, have the homeowner remove the mold with a mold remediator.
