Wide angle shot of the concrete crawlspace
As you can see, this crawlspace is full of water. The water evaporates into the air and raises the humidity. When that happens the mold spreads like wild fire, this is what makes a crawlspace stink. What this crawlspace needs is a water control system combined with a moisture control system. Basically, it needs sump pumps, drainage pipes, and a nice vapor barrier.
Nasty crawlspace insulation
This insulation has soaked up a lot of moisture from the crawlspace air. It is essentially ruined and won't provide warm floors anymore. The only thing that messy and wet insulation like this is good for is breeding mold and holding moisture in the crawlspace. It would be like trying to use a wet sponge to dry up a spill, it can't hold any more water. All the moisture creates a humid environment, which is the last thing you want under your home.
Testing the humidity in the crawlspace air
DryZone team members will generally say that 55-65% humidity is as high as you want to see in a crawlspace. In the summer, there will be an occasional spike, but for the most part it will stay in that range after our CleanSpace system is installed. In this picture you can see a relative humidity reading of over 91% which is ridiculously high. You can't get much higher than that, after all the scale only goes to 100. Around 90% means that the air ducts are probably causing a lot of condensation. The cool air passes through the hot, moist air and drops of water form on the ducts. If you look at the bottom of an air duct in these conditions, you will see something very similar to rain in your crawlspace. That's scary!
Trying to move wet air does nothing to help a nasty crawlspace
This is a common sight in crawlspaces on Delmarva. Homeowners will often add a few large box fans to move the air around. First off, be careful not to electrocute yourself if you touch them. These fans are not meant to be used in this way and can be dangerous when they sit in a puddle of water. Secondly, all they do is push the wet air around. What you need is a proper crawlspace dehumidifier, a machine that will dry the air before blowing it around.
Walls are flowing water like a faucet
It hadn't rained in a few days prior to the inspection and water was still flowing right into the crawlspace. The foundation wall is made of concrete blocks that are hollow. They can take quite a while to drain which means that you could have water flowing into your crawlspace for days after a rain storm, sometimes longer. DryZone inspectors have been known to see crawlspaces that are constantly wet for this exact reason. What this does is constantly add "fuel to the fire" so to speak. The crawlspace never gets a chance to dry on its own. Drainage systems are needed to fix this, give the water a path to a sump pump and it won't be a problem.
Check out the puddle from just a few small leaks
You don't need to have large holes or huge amounts of water all at once to create a problem. A few small holes in the wall and the water just drains in at a steady pace. When DryZone creates a quality drainage system, our technicians will drill holes in every block in order to relieve the pressure. In the future when water comes in through these holes it will flow into the pipe system and be carried off to a sump pump.
Small, inadequate sump pump
One small sump pump off in the corner just isn't enough to manage the water problems in an entire crawlspace. This particular home was over 2500 square feet, which is higher than average. There is no way that a sump no bigger than a gallon could ever handle that space. Poor little fella was doomed from the start.
A proper sump pump with CleanSpace
Making the sump pit bigger and deeper is only half the battle. In the previous photo with the small hole, a pump of the highest quality will still run more than it needs to. Part of the idea behind DryZone's SuperSump system is that it can pump a lot of water at once and then shut off for a while. It sits up high enough so that a good amount of water can be in the bottom of the pit before it triggers the pump. This process will extend the life of the pump because it won't be starting and stopping all the time.
Nasty insulation is gone and a beautiful new vapor barrier is installed
Now that the old insulation is gone it can't hold moisture directly on the wood framing. The wood can start to dry out in this new environment. The CleanSpace vapor barrier is taped in such a way that it is basically one large piece. It will keep the majority of water vapor in the ground and helps to lower the humidity in the crawlspace. It is also incredibly durable, this liner is made to last for years to come.
A second sump pump and a SaniDry CX dehumidifier
As I mentioned earlier, this house is larger than the average house. This homeowner decided to make the right decision and added a second sump pump. What this does is "split" the house in half so that water doesn't have to travel nearly as far as it would with only one pump. There are rules and formulas that the inspectors use to determine whether a second sump pump is a necessary thing. It is one of the best questions to ask him after he competes his free crawlspace inspection. The SaniDry CX is hands down the best on the market. It uses less electricity than other dehumidifiers that have a lower output. Basically, it will get more water out of the air while using less electricity than most other comparable machines. It is a great addition to any crawlspace.