Moisture Control
Musty Odor? Poor Ventilation? High Humidity Levels? Moisture is to blame!
Moisture Control
Control the moisture before it leads to problems including mold or other biological growth, potentially causing a variety of health problems.
Crawl Space Encapsulation
Seal out excess moisture in your crawl space to prevent the growth of mold under your home.
Basement Waterproofing
Prevent and control the growth of mold and future health problems by waterproofing your basement and controlling the moisture.
Attic Ventilation
Proper attic ventilation can prevent moisture, mold, and mildew from being coming trapped and causing damage to your home.
Moisture Control
Common Places for Moisture
Moisture problems can lead to mold, mildew, or other biological growth, potentially causing a variety of health problems for susceptible individuals. In addition, moisture issues can lead to rot and structural damage. When addressing any interior mold issue, the moisture source must be addressed to provide a long term solution.
Attic Moisture
The absence of proper attic ventilation allows moisture to become trapped in the attic, potentially causing attic mold growth. As with any interior mold issue, addressing the moisture source is key. AdvantaClean experts can help diagnose your attic moisture and attic mold issues by properly recommending and implementing an attic ventilation system or other corrective measures.
Crawl Space Moisture
Many crawl spaces have an exposed earthen floor, which allows ground moisture to evaporate into the space under your home, increasing the crawl space moisture levels in both the air and sub-structure of your home – especially if you don’t have a vapor barrier. Our crawl space moisture specialists can address the moisture source – from simple repairs to comprehensive vapor barriers, crawl space ventilation systems and crawl space dehumidifier installations.
Basement Moisture
The lack of a basement ventilation system and/or basement dehumidifier can contribute to basement humidity control issues. In addition, improper construction or maintenance, lack of landscaping or improper grading and lack of rain gutters can also contribute to basement moisture control issues. AdvantaClean can diagnose your basement moisture control and basement mold issues by properly identifying, recommending and implementing corrective actions.
Controlling Moisture to Prevent Mold Growth
All public health agencies report that excess moisture is the main cause of mold in homes and businesses, usually due to a lack of airflow and poor ventilation. There are a few easy steps home and business owners can take to control the mold growth indoors. When you have a mold problem, you need professional remediation. However, without proper moisture controls implemented, the mold will only grow back.
Here are some tips for controlling moisture indoors where mold is a problem:
- Maintain humidity levels at 30-50%: Controlling humidity levels will greatly reduce the presence of mold, as well as dust mites and other microbes. Besides weather, humidity can be caused by dishwashers, bathroom steam from showers, and the escaping air from the clothes dryer. Air conditioners and humidifiers are both excellent ways to reduce moisture in the air if proper ventilation is not possible. Be sure to have your air conditioner cleaned each year before use, as a dirty filter can make mold and allergies much worse by exposing your home or business to even more mold spores.
- Reduce the moisture in the house: Don't let water build up anywhere, wipe shower walls and doors after use, and ventilate damp rooms. Wash shower curtains and bathroom tiles regularly with mold-killing products and quickly move wet clothes into the dryer before mold can grow. On concrete floors, remove carpet and use area rugs that can be lifted and washed, or install a vapor barrier over the concrete.
- Keep air flowing: Ventilation, when possible, is the best defense against mold. Whether there has been a previous infestation of mold or not, it will continue to grow wherever there is a lack of proper airflow. Increase ventilation by leaving doors between rooms and closets open. Make sure the clothes dryer is vented to the outside, and that there are no leaks in the ventilation hosing. A very important place to monitor ventilation is in the bathroom. Most will have a small window for airflow, but that is not always enough. Frequently use the vent fan, and in the absence of one, use a portable fan to clear out steam after showers and baths. Doing so will greatly reduce the chance of mold on the walls and shower doors and curtains.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, mold spores are always present, and there is no way to eliminate all mold indoors. However, the key to keeping the spores from growing into an unsightly problem is to implement moisture control. Mold will grow at a rapid rate on many surfaces, including wood, paper, carpets, and clothing. By reducing moisture in environments with airflow or ventilation problems, the chances of developing mold that will need to be killed and removed is greatly reduced, saving money and a big headache.
Crawl Space Encapsulation
What is Crawl Space Encapsulation?
Crawl space encapsulation is the process of sealing every square foot of surface between the ground and your floor with a thick, durable and airtight synthetic sheeting that’s proven to seal out the excess crawlspace moisture that’s been seeping into the underside of your structure.
In most places, crawl spaces are neglected and don’t receive the proper maintenance. They are usually thought of as a space in-home or buildings where old goods are tucked away. Because of this, crawl space can become a feeding ground for distressing activities including mold, bugs, standing water, damaged vents and moisture.
Our Services Include:
- Crawl Space Inspection
- Moisture Control Products
- Crawl Space Insulation
- Crawl Space Vapor Barrier
- Crawl Space Encapsulation - AdvantaSeal
- Controlling Moisture and Humidity in the Home
- Black Mold Removal
- Drainage and Sump Pump Installation - AdvantaDrain
How Do I Know if I Have a Crawl Space Moisture Problem?
Common signs of crawl space moisture issues include: wood rot sagging or wet insulation, termite damage under your home or hardwood floors, “cupping,” visible mold growth in the crawl space, or condensation on ductwork.
What Causes Crawl Space Moisture Issues?
Many crawl spaces have an exposed earthen floor, which allows ground moisture to evaporate into the space under your home, increasing the crawl space moisture levels in both the air and sub-structure of your home – especially if you don’t have a vapor barrier.
Improper grading and lack of rain gutters can also contribute to crawl space moisture control issues by allowing unwanted rain or groundwater to enter the crawlspace.
Poor crawl space ventilation compounds the problem by creating a mix of warm and cool air causing surface condensation, further increasing the amount of crawl space moisture under the home. This repeated wetting of building materials day after day provides the perfect environment for mold growth, termites and structural damage under your home.
Solutions to Crawl Space Moisture Issues Include:
- Proper grading around the home directing moisture away from the structure.
- Installing, repairing or cleaning gutters and downspouts.
- Adding downspout extensions and exit lines to move water further from the home.
- Interior or exterior waterproofing.
- Installing vapor barriers or encapsulation systems to isolate the crawl space from the earth.
- Installing crawl space ventilation- crawl space dehumidifiers and/or crawl space ventilation fans.
Do I Need a Dehumidifier, Crawl Space Venation Fans, or Both?
Crawl space ventilation systems condition or exchange the air in the crawl space to regulate moisture content. These systems may work off of crawl space ventilation fans, crawl space dehumidifier systems or a combination of both.
- Crawl space ventilation fans exchange the air in the crawl space with fresh air from outside of the home when the conditions are favorable.
- Crawl space dehumidifier systems may be necessary in excessively damp crawl spaces, to remove excess moisture from the air.
- Vapor barriers or encapsulation systems isolate the crawlspace from the earth, keeping ground moisture out of the crawl space allowing crawl space ventilation and dehumidifiers for crawl spaces to operate more efficiently.
Crawl space dehumidifier systems, crawl space ventilation fans and vapor barriers work to dry and circulate air through the crawl space, creating an environment that does not contribute to mold growth and eliminates crawl space moisture issues.
Crawl Space Ventilation Issues?
Basement Waterproofing & Moisture Control
Why Should I Be Concerned About Basement Moisture?
The number one concern in any musty basement is mold, mildew or biological growth. These growths, specifically mold, grow in humid basements because they require moisture to grow. Mold is a eukaryotic plant-like organism whose spores flock to moisture-rich areas of homes and businesses. While it needs moisture, it differs from plants in that it doesn’t need sunlight to live and grow. This causes your damp and dark basement to become a mold haven.
Your best option to control mold growth is basement waterproofing and moisture control. Mold always needs remediation, and the only way to ensure it doesn’t grow back is to resolve its source, i.e., the moisture problem. Mold is dangerous not only to the structure of your basement, and thereby your home, but also to your health. Mold growth can lead to a plethora of different health symptoms, commonly allergy-like symptoms and worsening of chronic respiratory conditions like asthma.
Basement moisture occurs for a variety of reasons, chief amongst them is when your basement is below grade. The majority of basement moisture issues develop from:
- Improper exterior grading
- Insufficient guttering or downspouts
- Lack of air circulation or conditioning
- Cooler surface temperatures when below grade
What Does AdvantaClean Offer for Basement Waterproofing Solutions?
- Crack Repair - Injection Polyurethane and Epoxies for wall cracks and slabs.
- Drainage System Installation - Sump Pump Installation & Repair, Footing, and Curtain Drains
How Does Basement Waterproofing Help?
Our trained and certified technicians will diagnose your moisture source and work tirelessly toward a solution. Whether that is a basement dehumidifier or crack repair, AdvantaClean will resolve whatever is plaguing your basement, including mold remediation if need be. Basement waterproofing and moisture control help your home by saving it from the detrimental effects of moisture.
- Proper grade around the home directing moisture away from the structure.
- Installing, repairing or cleaning gutters and downspouts.
- Adding downspout extensions and exit lines to move water further from the home.
- Interior or exterior waterproofing.
- Installing basement ventilation systems, conditioning systems, or basement dehumidifier systems.
Attic Ventilation
Attic moisture problems can lead to mold, mildew, or other biological growth. The absence of proper attic ventilation fosters attic mold growth by allowing moisture to become trapped in the attic. Moldy attic conditions could lead to rot, structural damage, and a variety of health problems for susceptible individuals.
What Causes Attic Moisture?
- Improper mechanical ventilation - Dryer vents, plumbing vents, kitchen vents and bathroom vents should always be exhausted to the exterior of the building. When these vents are not exhausted properly, moist air is deposited into the attic, raising the humidity, and potentially causing attic mold growth.
- Lack of proper attic ventilation or attic insulation – In cooler climates, or just winter months in general, warm, moist air enters our attics from the living space below and clashes against the cool roof decking and framing, resulting in condensation or even interior frost in attic. This repeated and sustained wetting of the wood encourages attic mold growth. Attic ventilation systems help control the attic moisture, temperature and humidity by exhausting the moist air, eliminating the potential for condensation or frost in the attic.
When addressing any interior mold issue, the attic moisture source must be addressed to provide a long term solution. The key to eliminating attic mold is controlling the moisture in the attic. AdvantaClean experts can help diagnose your attic moisture and attic mold issues by properly recommending and implementing an attic ventilation system or other corrective measures.
How Can I Achieve Proper Attic Ventilation?
- Adding insulation
- Sealing leaky duct work
- Extending bathroom or kitchen vents or ducting to the exterior of the home
- Increasing ventilation through installing active or passive attic ventilation systems
Call AdvantaClean for Your Attic Ventilation System
AdvantaClean can help diagnose your attic moisture and attic mold issues by properly identifying, recommending and implementing corrective actions. Our attic mold specialists can perform professional mold remediation in conjunction with addressing the attic moisture source– from simple repairs to comprehensive attic moisture control solutions.