Having Your Home Crawlspace Encapsulated From a Homeowner’s Perspective

No one wants a crawlspace to look like this. Flat Walter is pointing out a yellow mold which is most likely Epicoccum nigrum. In my own home crawlspace and a bathroom, experts found the odious black mold called Stachybotrys which is very dangerous because along with the mold spores, it also gives off other toxins. Stachy, as it is also known, can be deadly. Experts must use full suits and masks when cleaning molds of any kind, but especially this one. If you are replacing insulation or flooring, or when you are in any area of your home and see a black substance growing, it is best to back away and call an expert like those from PuroClean Property Damage Experts of Cleveland, Tennessee. My home is located like many in our area in a moisture ridden county and is just outside of Cleveland, Tennessee.

As I was acquiring my new home (to me) I found a rancher built in 1971 and was not surprised to find the crawlspace needed to be encapsulated. It is common to have a crawlspace encapsulated in our area because there is such a high moisture content in southeastern Tennessee, in north Georgia and in Northwest North Carolina. I called the company I work for PuroClean Property Damage Experts of Cleveland, Tennessee to come behind the inspector to tell me what they thought; the words I heard were, “Oh, yes, your home needs to be encapsulated.” As a matter of fact, my crawlspace was so infested, it had to be cleaned twice before it could be treated to keep mold from regrowing and then encapsulated. I cannot stress enough, this is common in the area in which we live. Mold grows freely and readily in bathrooms, attics, kitchens, basements and crawlspaces. It does not matter whether your home is new or old, water and moisture in general, can linger growing mold quickly.

My realtor tried to tell me not once but twice that the mold was not serious and could be treated by putting a little bleach in some water and simply spraying the mold. You cannot judge a book by its cover though. Please do NOT believe that spraying bleach is your way out of a mold situation. My realtor may have meant well, but this person did not understand the dangers of mold nor the process of mold mitigation. Some national organizations will promote cleaning mold with bleach. However, in our industry, we have learned that while bleach can kill surface mold, it does nothing to stop mold spores from regrowing. In essence, bleach only whitens or lightens the mold present making it appear to be mitigated, but underneath, the spores are ready to grow more of the harmful microbial. An area in our homes with mold – once cleaned – should also be treated with an antimicrobial to help keep microbes from regrowing.

I would also like to add that the finished product of crawlspace encapsulation is readily visible, but we as homeowners need to check behind experts to make sure the home was treated and encapsulated properly. For example, when I looked in my crawlspace during the encapsulation and after the job was completed, I was proud to work for a company like PuroClean Property Damage Experts of Cleveland, Tennessee which does such a clean and neat job of encapsulating a crawlspace. I was so impressed, I thought, “Someone could eat off the floor in this space because it is so clean.” I could easily see the liner on the floor, running up the sides of the space and even around the columns holding up floor joists. I was amazed and proud that we do such complete and meticulous work. No one came to throw down a piece of plastic on the ground to call the job complete. It was finished completely and correctly.

The picture below is of my finished crawlspace. Look at the columns and the walls. The flooring is clean and covered neatly. The walls have been finished with wood strips to complete the encapsulation. We wrap the walls with clear plastic so that inspectors can come in to more easily make assessments.

Having mold mitigated in a home is costly. A typical “mold job” can run anywhere from $1,000.00 to $15,000.00. It can also be more costly depending on the size of damage and the size of your home. The equipment that is utilized in the remediation and restoration process is costly in itself; commercial grade machines that get the job done quickly and efficiently are costly. Air handlers and dehumidifiers can begin at around $2,500.00 and upward. Desiccants for drying and odor eradicating can begin at $9,000.00. A single full-face mask worn by technicians is $250.00 and uses $100.00 filters to be changed daily or with each new job. Moisture readers used by technicians to determine if walls, floors, and ceilings have been correctly dried sufficiently begin at around $900.00. There are so many more types of equipment used to remediate microbial infestation, but these are a few to start with. This business is not expensive because someone dreamed up a number to charge clients. It is costly because the equipment is pricey. This does not even take into account the cost of gas, mileage, insurance and hourly wages for qualified technicians. But, . . . having a company who knows how to remediate, mitigate and restore property damage especially when mold is involved can certainly help you sleep soundly at night with calm assurance knowing your family and you are safe. We’ve all learned that we get what we pay for. There is no price we would not pay to guarantee the safety of our families.

Maybe you will have mold insurance that will help you pay to have an inspection and remediation completed. I did NOT because my home was in the process of being purchased. Negotiating with the homeowners did not help either, so I paid out of pocket to have this encapsulation. I am very glad I did.