ideas to find hidden mold in crawlspace?
#1
10-02-18, 01:52 PM
Member
Thread Starter
ideas to find hidden mold in crawlspace?
My crawlspace has been tested (by two independent contractors) to have large amount of mold spores in the air. The mold spores leak into the living area and causes allergic reaction.
There is no visible mold on any surface in the crawlspace.
So I had the crawlspace encapsulated, meaning I had vapor barrier not just covering the dirt but sealed against the wall and concrete piers. This reduces the humidity level in the crawlspace, but unfortunately the musty smell and allergy persists.
The only place mold could be hiding that I can think of is the subfloor (ceiling of the crawlspace) covered by batt insulation. I pried away the edges of a few insulation batts but did not see mold.
I think I would have to have all the batts removed to locate the mold. This is expensive but if this solves the problem I'm willing to do it. But if all the batts are removed and no molds are found, I would feel pretty stupid, and stumped.
Is there a smarter way to find or narrow down the mold? I have already hired several mold remediation contractors to take a look and they don't have any better solution.
I welcome any creative, out of the box ideas.
There is no visible mold on any surface in the crawlspace.
So I had the crawlspace encapsulated, meaning I had vapor barrier not just covering the dirt but sealed against the wall and concrete piers. This reduces the humidity level in the crawlspace, but unfortunately the musty smell and allergy persists.
The only place mold could be hiding that I can think of is the subfloor (ceiling of the crawlspace) covered by batt insulation. I pried away the edges of a few insulation batts but did not see mold.
I think I would have to have all the batts removed to locate the mold. This is expensive but if this solves the problem I'm willing to do it. But if all the batts are removed and no molds are found, I would feel pretty stupid, and stumped.
Is there a smarter way to find or narrow down the mold? I have already hired several mold remediation contractors to take a look and they don't have any better solution.
I welcome any creative, out of the box ideas.
#2
10-02-18, 04:31 PM
Group Moderator
Have you actually had an air quality test done? That would give you an actual comparison of how clean the house is compared to the crawlspace or even the outside air (your baseline count).
Air quality tests don't lie and they also "should" eliminate (satisfy) the people who have a vivid imagination.
Air quality tests don't lie and they also "should" eliminate (satisfy) the people who have a vivid imagination.
#4
10-03-18, 03:43 AM
Did you have the air retested after encapsulating the crawlspace? A musty smell is usually an indication that either a dehumidifier is needed or more air flow.
