Noticing a wet musty smell in your home, coming from your Crawl Space? Are doors and windows sticking or maybe you are noticing drywall cracks? We have been servicing the Springfield MO area for 5 decades and offer a variety of award-winning solutions.

The weather can vary significantly between Joplin, Springfield, Branson, and the surrounding areas. Our Home Care Specialists are local to each area. They are aware of the changing temperatures, ground saturation, and humidity levels. This allows us to have a personalized and understanding approach when healing homes. Crawl Space repair is one of the many services we offer.

Crawl Space repairs can vary from encapsulation, waterproofing, and a dehumidifier, all of these options can be a bit overwhelming. Before making any decisions about which product or service to choose for your home’s needs, it is important to understand the cause and effect of the problem.

What Causes a Wet, Damp, and Musty Crawl Space?

So what is creating that nasty smell? Several factors may cause this, the most common, however, is a condition called Stack Effect.

Simply explained, Stack Effect is when your home is at a different temperature than it is outside. As hot dry air moves out of your crawlspace into the home, and cold air-conditioned air is pushed down, it leaves the crawl space damp and humid. The nasty mold smell may be the first noticeable sign that your home has moisture and potentially mold in the crawl space. 50% of the air circulating in the main living space of your home comes from your crawlspace or basement. Not only can this cause air quality issues, but it also creates the ideal breeding environment for pest infestations.

Most homes with a dirt floor crawl, have a plastic moisture guard, but that alone may not be enough to protect the area from mold, or water damage. The intention is to create a barrier between vents/structural supports under your home and any water or moisture. Plastic is really only meant for short-term use and over time can fail.

Another common cause could be high water saturation around your home’s foundation. This is called hydrostatic pressure. Water sits in the soil around your foundation, adding pressure and eventually forcing itself in. If the crawlspace has dirt floors, it is very easy for the water to seep in. If the Crawlspace has concrete floors, you may notice water coming in where the floor and wall meet.

 

 

The Effect of Untreated Crawl Space

Over time, if left untreated the mold in the crawlspace will continue to be carried into the living spaces. That nasty smell can actually be very damaging to the overall health of your family.  The plastic vapor barrier in your Crawlspace can actually do more harm than good. It does try and keep your Crawl Space dry, but unfortunately does not give the water under it any room to move, so it will continue to build up and stay stagnant.

Left untreated standing water in the Crawlspace can be absorbed by the wooded structural supports surrounding it. This includes the support beams, band board, sill plate, and floor joist. All materials that mold loves to feed on. The moisture will create humidity, which can cause the joist to sag and mold to grow. As the joists start to droop, they will no longer properly support the floor of the home. You may notice cracks in the drywall or around door or window frames.

Keeping that area dry, and free of humidity is not only important to the structural integrity of the home, but also to the overall health of your family. A dry crawlspace is incapable of moving mildew and mold deposits into the living area. It will also ensure that no unwanted insects or termites infest the space.

Crawl Space Treatment Options

Before we get right into treatment it is important to know that, if the original cause is treated immediately, structural repairs can typically be avoided. Diagnosing Stack Effect versus Hydrostatic pressure can be difficult, especially because Crawlspaces are not particularly fun to be in.

We will go into the Crawlspace, in order to diagnose the problem. While there we will also take many photos in order to show you what we came across. We will also do a full inspection of the outside of the foundation and any indoor foundation concerns. This allows up to look at the entire home, diagnosing the original cause and the subsequent effects. We then create a project to tackle each individually, to fully solve the problem for good.

We offer full encapsulation! Crawlspace Encapsulation uses our high-quality HydraLock Pro material and patented HydraDry Crawlspace Waterproofing system. It also includes our HydraAir as well. Encapsulation will protect your home from water, humidity, and potential future damage to any structural supports.

Our Vapor barrier is made of a HydraLock Pro material, is thick, durable, and has an extremely white clean finish. Unlike the plastic laid down in the area at the time of construction, Helitech’s vapor barrier not only keeps moisture levels down but also gives the water a chance to egress(leave). Why is this important? Rain and groundwater is not the only way for the crawlspace to become wet. The home could also have a leaking pipe, overflowing toilet, or dishwasher. With Helitech’s’ vapor barrier, it can escape the home instead of sitting stagnant.

We also have several other treatment options. Our HydraAir Dehumidifier can help keep the air in your Crawl Space clean and free of mold and bacteria. If the mold and water have become to affect the structural supports, we offer Helical Support Columns, Bandboard/Sill Plate Repair, and Floor Joist Repair. 

Why Helitech for Crawl Space Encapsulation

The experts at Helitech provide information on all causes and possible solutions; in an attempt to make the overwhelming process of healing your home a little easier. Cost may be a concern, but Helitech offers exceptional financing options. Helitech has been healing homes in the Springfield MO area since 1987. We are a locally owned and operated company. Our Home Care Specialists are local and know the area and residents well.

By choosing Helitech you will have the guarantee that the problem will be fixed the first time! Making sure your home is healthy and the process is smooth is our number 1 priority. You can custom design your project, making sure the solution not only works for the home but also for your budget! We are the most awarded, most trusted name in the business, with multiple options to choose from, that will best suit your family’s needs. Our Helitech Promise is to provide the highest quality products, and finest service, and to stand by our work for the life of your home.

 

“I want to thank Sam for coming out and inspecting our house. He was even nice enough to come back out to reassure me of some concerns I had. We were told it would be up to 8 weeks, and they were able to get it done way sooner than that. I really appreciate the crew that came out. Very respectful group, and they even did some extra stuff that happened to come up. I would highly recommend them. Sam could have taken advantage of my concerns, and informed me it was an issue to make more money. He did not. I appreciate honesty.”

-Lisa Reich, Springfield MO

 

 

 

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