If you live in an older house, you may think that the musty smell is typical of the age of the structure. But that unwanted scent is more than a nuisance. A musty odor is one of the first signs of mold growth in your crawl space. And if left untreated, mold can do severe damage to your house’s foundation and your overall health. Along with mold, the odor can also be due to other issues such as high relative humidity.
At Mount Valley Foundation Services, we know everything about how problematic mold growth can be. And we have a variety of solutions available that can help you remedy the issue and protect your home while ensuring your family’s health is safe as well. We are the oldest foundation service provider in South Carolina. Therefore, we have many years of experience repairing crawl spaces, eliminating moisture, and ensuring all possibilities of future mold growth have been removed. If you could benefit from our assistance, contact our team today to schedule your free inspection.
What is the Cause of Musty Odors in Your Crawl Space?
Three things must occur for that stale and unwanted smell to form in your crawl space.
Organic Materials
That is the first thing that has to happen for the musty smell to generate. Organic materials can include various things such as the wood the floor joists are made from or insulation coming out of the walls or ceiling. While you can clean some of this organic material, it can be challenging to get to all of it, especially when dealing with a crawl space. And you can’t eliminate the wood from your foundation. Fortunately, organic material is only part of the problem. And if you eliminate the other parts, you can effectively eliminate the smell.
High Relative Humidity
That is the second part of the equation needed to get that musty smell. The relative humidity is the measurement of the amount of moisture in the air in proportion to how much water the air is capable of holding. Once the air reaches 100% humidity, it is completely saturated with moisture. That means if it goes over 100%, the excess moisture will need to go somewhere. Usually, it comes out as condensation on cool surfaces inside your crawl space, such as organic materials. When that excessive high-level humidity meets the organic material, mold growth begins.
Mold Growth
Most of the musty scent you smell comes from the mold. A high humidity level of at least 60% is usually required for mold to begin to grow on organic materials.
In most cases, the musty smell is due to mold growth. Mold will form anytime high relative humidity, or organic material is joined. However, even if your crawl space has low humidity levels in various spaces, mold can still thrive in the areas around water spots and where condensation has occurred.
While mold is usually not toxic, it can cause respiratory issues and other health problems, especially for those with breathing issues. It can have a severe impact on your quality of life, even if you are an otherwise healthy individual. Many people experience increased sneezing, shortness of breath, or wheezing due to mold growth in their homes. And most of the time, they are unaware of the cause of their symptoms for a long time before the mold growth is discovered.
Why Should I Be Concerned About Musty Odors?
Musty odors are a critical sign that mold is already present in your home. And you should be concerned if you have mold growth. That’s because, along with being unsightly, mold can cause infections and trigger allergies in individuals who are allergic to mold. It can also be harmful to members of your household who have a compromised immune system. Not to mention, if mold is present, you could also have problems with moisture or water damage in your crawl space as well.
What is the Cause of Water and Moisture Problems in Your Crawl Space?
Since musty odors are caused by mold growth and mold is caused by excessive moisture, if you eliminate the water from your crawl space, you will prevent issues with mold and odors before they start.
Here are a few of the causes of water buildup in crawl spaces that all homeowners should know. By understanding more about the many different causes of water buildup, you can decide what solutions will work best to fix the problem.
Leaks from Faulty Plumbing
Plumbing leaks are one of the leading causes of water buildup in crawl spaces. Typically this is due to a sudden burst or frozen water pipe. There will often be a small leak that the homeowner is unaware of until the damage is already done.
Wall Cracks
Cracks in your foundation walls can be caused by settling soil or shrinkage. If the wall cracks are a result of shrinkage, it usually doesn’t require an immediate solution. But cracks that are there due to settling are a more severe issue. That’s because they will usually cause the underlying structure of the house to become weaker. That makes it possible for even more water and moisture to enter your home and open space for pests, insects, and vermin to enter. That type of infestation can wreak havoc on your organic material.
Open Vents or Window Wells
Vents and window wells were intended to allow natural light and airflow into the crawl space of your home. While a window can prevent water from entering inside, it can do the opposite if it is not maintained. It collects moisture from heavy rain then eventually releases it into the area it was designed to protect.
Crawl space vents were added to older homes because it was believed that they would help improve airflow in the small and dark area underneath your home. Now we know that these vents are not.
Faulty Drains
If you have open floor drains in your home, and they are clogged, the water from your kitchen and bathroom sinks or your washing machine will not drain as it should. That leads to a flood in your crawl space.
Condensation
When there is poor ventilation inside your crawl space, air filled with moisture will get stuck inside that space, and it will continue to collect moisture until the excess converts to water. That is known as condensation, and it is pretty standard in areas that do not have good air circulation.
Cracks in the Floor
Water that puddles below your home’s foundation will cause your floors to crack. When that happens, the water will begin to seep upward into the floor. That will happen with even the most minor crack so that the damage could go unnoticed for a while.
How to Fix Musty Odors From My Crawl Space
Now that you know what the cause of the musty smell in your crawl space is, it is time to look at the best solutions for the problem. Repairing your encapsulating crawl space to no longer have the stale, musty smell can be a difficult task. And if you are unsure about what you are doing, you could end up causing more harm than good by attempting to remedy the issue on your own.
At Mount Valley Foundation Services, our technicians have the experience and training necessary to take care of your moisture problem and do the job right the first time, so you don’t endure additional repairs later on. We will provide you with various solutions for your problem and help you decide which one will work best for your situation and budget.
Here are a few of the solutions that we offer to help eliminate musty odors in your crawl space.
Use a Dehumidifier
A dehumidifier is a valuable tool that can be helpful with removing mold and mildew. These machines are designed to remove excess moisture from the air. But you should keep in mind that using a dehumidifier alone will not completely take care of the problem. Instead, it is best to use one paired with another solution offered by our team to remove mold and moisture altogether and keep it gone for good.
If you need assistance purchasing a dehumidifier, our specialists will be happy to help you learn more about the different types and find one that will work best for your specific needs and your budget. Our technicians understand all there is to know about the various types of dehumidifiers on the market. We can also service a broken one or provide routine maintenance if needed.
Remove Any Existing Debris Around the Home
One part of the process is to go around and remove any excess debris that is lying around. It may seem harmless, but sticks, weeds, and other material can collect bacteria, contributing to mold and mildew growth. While the homeowner can pick up some of the sticks or trash lying around, one of our waterproofing technicians can provide you with more information on what is considered debris and how to remove all of it effectively. So before you decide to start on this process on your own, it would be best to get in touch with one of our experts first.
Add a Vapor Barrier
Once all the debris is cleared, our technicians will likely suggest adding a vapor barrier. Our vapor barriers are made from strong, thick, and durable material and prevent moisture from getting through. We guarantee that it will remain stable even with some light movement on top of it.
Close all Open Vents in the Crawl Space
Your home’s crawl spaces may have open vents in place. These vents were once believed to help prevent problems with mold and moisture when in reality, they were contributing to the cause. Now that we know how crawl space vents do more harm than good, we suggest that our customers place crawl space vent covers over their vents to block out moisture effectively.
Contact Mount Valley Foundation Services Today for a Free Inspection
When you notice a musty smell in your home, you should act fast and contact our team at Mount Valley Foundation Services for immediate assistance. The sooner you take care of the issues causing mold and mildew to grow, the better off you will be. Our team will explain how we will effectively remove mold and moisture from your crawl space and address any concerns you may have along the way.
Mount Valley Foundation Services is the oldest foundation repair provider offering services to the residents of Greer, SC. We have proudly served the residents of Charleston, Columbia, and Greenville since 1986 and always offer the highest quality service to our customers at the best possible price. We understand that no one wants to use our services, but they are necessary when your home’s structure is in danger of becoming damaged or destroyed. That is why we do whatever we can to offer our customers the fairest and most reasonable prices for all our foundation repair and crawl space encapsulation services.
Get in touch with our team today to learn more about how we can help you eliminate those unwanted and embarrassing musty odors from your home for good. Visit our website to chat live with a specialist or give us a call at 803-220-3550 to request a Free Inspection. We look forward to helping you keep your home safe, secure, and free from moisture damage for many years to come.
Let our Crawl Space Experts help you
Schedule free inspection
