Let's face it, most of us never think to look in the crawl space unless there's some kind of problem and we need to, but once you know it's there, you need it treated fast and you want it done right before it gets worse.
Along with treating it, lot's of things need to also be considered when trying to identify the cause(s), so they can also be corrected in a timely manner which are most commonly:
- Water Intrusions through the foundation that may require grading and/or waterproofing
- Lack of adequate vapor barrier
- Improper ventilation
- Plumbing leaks
- Large spills or overflows
These can all cause moisture problems that lead to conditions favorable for mold growth in the affected area.
But what's worse, mold is commonly found in these areas even when there's no exact culprit, because most crawl spaces are "open vented spaces" which we refer to as an "unconditioned crawl space", which means we don't control the basic conditions like the temperature or the relative humidity, we just let them "breathe" leaving us at mother natures mercy of whatever she's bringing through those foundation vents each day from the outside air.
If the relative humidity gets too high for too long you can have conditions in the crawl space for mold to slowly progress over long periods of time. It can be so minute you wouldn't even notice it without a trained eye or a microscope at first, but years and years of exponential accumulation colonization can be easily visible as it keeps growing unchecked for 20, 30, or 40+ years.
Crawl Space Mold Removal: Before (left) and After (right)
How to remove mold from the crawl space?
Generally, every mold removal process typically consists of:
- Proper Protective Equipment to Protect Ourselves
- Containing the area to protect the unaffected areas
- Hepa Air Filtration/Air Filtration device to control the air in the environment
- Removing any insulation from the affected overhead rafters
- Removing any stored items
- Hepa Vacuuming
- Wiping and Scrubbing
- Stain Removers to Restore most wood to look like new
- Fungicide treatment to help prevent future regrowth
- Supplying structural drying equipment if needed
- Installing vapor barriers to help prevent excess ground moisture into the area
- Identifying any potential hidden leaks we may discover during the process
Can you DIY a mold removal project like this:
We highly recommend not trying to if you don’t know what you’re doing.
Confined spaces are dangerous and mold can make you or others sick.
While we don't advise anyone to try and clean mold themselves unless they really know what they're doing for liability reasons, the EPA website does have general recommendations for cleaning up affected areas that are less than 10 square feet that we recommend being familiar with at the least.
Keep in mind, we use professional equipment, protective gear from head to toe, full face masks with multi gas respirator cartridges, along with training and experience that has come from a lot of unique situations.
How much does it cost to remove mold from a crawl space?
General pricing for treating a crawl space with mold starts around $3,000 for just the cleaning portion for crawl spaces up to 1000 sq ft, and $3/per sq ft for any additional sq footage. However, prices may be higher due to the degree of difficulty from various factors including but not limited to how badly affected they are, how tight they are to manuever through, what we're crawling on (dirt, mud, gravel, rocks or concrete), etc. *This does not include vapor barriers, correcting water/moisture sources or structural drying which all costs additional if/as needed.*
Vapor Barriers start at an additional $1.25 to $3.50 dollars per sq ft depending on the thickness (6 mil, black or 13mil string-reinforced, white) and if you want it just covering the ground (minimum recommendation) or if you want it attached up onto the walls (best recommendation).
If you have questions or if you want a free no cost estimate, contact us now, our trained mold experts are happy to assist you. 1-888-995-6653
