Crawl Space Repair Photo Album: Getting Rid of That Musty Smell in a Kalamazoo, MI Crawl Space

Our customer called at the end of their wits when it came to their crawl space. After a pipe burst a few years ago, they ended up with 44,000 gallons of water in the crawl space, filled all the way up to just below the rim joist (where the ceiling meets the wall). Ever since, their cottage has been musty. They'd had other companies out and been running everything from dehumidifiers to heated fans trying to dry out the "de-must" the space, but nothing had worked. Luckily, they finally called the right people. We encapsulated the crawl space with the CleanSpace vapor barrier system, including drainage matting to encourage any future water to drain away quickly and eliminate any standing water possibilities. By protecting the crawl space from any ambient-moisture related must, we also protect the home from the crawl space, and the smell is gone.

Warped and Moldy Beams in Kalamazoo Crawl Space

Between the flooding itself and the ambient moisture that remains, the support beams in the crawl space have issues with mold and warping. This makes them questionable for actual "support."

Fallen Fiberglass Insulation in Crawl Space

Fiberglass insulation is THE WORST when it comes to crawl spaces. It absorbs all of the ambient moisture, then gets heavy and falls into a useless heap on the ground. Also, mold likes to snack on it and expand its reign of terror.

Messy Crawl Space After Huge Flood

Although the water was eventually removed from the crawl space, it left behind quite a mess. Fallen insulation, mold, and debris littered the space.

Kalamazoo Crawl Space After Flood

What a mess! Note the dirt and mold in the insulation in the top right corner. I'm not sure that's doing much insulating.

Moldy Wood in Kalamazoo Crawl Space

Considering the space flooded almost to the ceiling, it's not surprising that there was so much lingering damage. Here, the wood that makes up the wall and ceiling are both clearly infested with mold. The mold weakens the wood as time goes on, eventually making the crawl space structurally unsound.