What's That Musty Smell? It's Your Crawl Space

When you take a deep breath in your home do you get a stale and moldy smell instead of a clean fresh smell? Don’t worry if you are, you’re not the only one!

Crawl spaces are the most common cause of this issue. Crawl spaces can be unpleasant smelling areas that homeowners want to avoid. They flood, can be filled with debris from when the home was built and even be home to some unwanted guests. At Thrasher we help prevent and correct moisture and humidity problems. Here are some of the most common reasons and solutions to saving your crawl space

The Problem

Crawl spaces are unfinished and are between the ground and the bottom level of your home. This space is named so because there’s usually only enough space to crawl rather than stand.

 It’s important to identify what is causing the space to smell. Here are some of the most common reasons:

1. Mold. Most crawl spaces are left unsealed, so outside air is coming into the space, allowing for cold,
    and moisture to enter. Not only can mold growth cause problems for your health, but it can spread quickly throughout your home. When humidity levels drop below 60% mold is unable to survive.
2. Standing Water. Crawl spaces are below ground and can flood easily. While the water won’t spread to other areas of your home, it leaves room for mold growth.
3. Higher Energy Bills. If the space is left open and not properly sealed from the outside, air is coming through and raising your energy bills because it’s causing more money to cool or heat your home.
4. Sinking Floors. While this is not an issue that will create an unpleasant smell in your home, it is a problem that can be caused by improper support in your crawl space. We have solutions that can help with that as well!

Thrasher’s Approach to Crawl Space Repair

We understand that each crawl space is unique, and we have custom solutions to restore your crawl space. Here are some of the most common solutions that our customers use.

CleanSpace

Water and humidity cause mold growth. The best way to get this under control and prevent it from happening again, is with CleanSpace. This wall barrier is 100% plastic and mold resistant. This is mechanically attached to walls with plastic drilled-in fasteners and will never chip, peel or flake.

Dehumidifier

Excess moisture leads to mold growth and once you encapsulate the crawl space, a dehumidifier is always recommended. The SaniDry Sedona is a dehumidifier that will eliminate damp, musty orders in
your crawl space by drying and filtering the air. This dehumidifier keeps your home below 50% relative humidity, effectively preventing mold growth from happening again!

SmartJacks

Most crawl spaces are left unsealed to the exterior and the soil is left open. This causes the soil and floor joists to settle and shift. SmartJacks are installed to lift the floors above the crawl space and toward the original elevation, by creating a solid base and distributing the weight of the home.

Our Promise

A musty crawl space should be something you do not have to live with. Remember no matter what type of crawl space repair solution you need; Thrasher has the experience and custom solutions. It's our job to make sure that the space is transformed into a cleaner, drier, healthier and more energy efficient space.