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Author
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Topic: Spots of mold in hardwood floor
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Overwhelmed
unregistered
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posted 05-25-2004 02:49 PM
 
Thanks for the suggestions, everybody. I've cleared some plant growth from a few of the existing vents and will open up the crawlspace access door on warm breezy days until the space is dry. Then I'll lay, tape and secure a plastic barrier. (Don't think there's much of a humidity problem here in the SF bay area in summer.) And of course I'll install drainage outside. I was considering insulating under the floor space between joists just as a means to improve winter-time comfort. Sounds like it might be helpful for preventing moisture transfer as well.(?) Feeling less Overwhelmed now.
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Rich
Registered Posts: 3
From: Hanover Pa USA
Registered: Apr 2004
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posted 05-25-2004 12:53 AM
Your problem is not unusual crawlspaces are the number one cause of poor indoor air quality. As much as 40% of the breathing air in your living space comes from the crawlspace.Solving any water intrusion problems is the number one thing to do. If you have a musty smell then cleaning the joist, sub-floor and walls will be necessary. Use a good disenfectant such as NAS 12. (Can purchace on line, it is also non toxic) If you live in an area of California that has low humidity then venting the crawlspace is a good idea. A vapor barrier is a must. 6-mil poly plastic is the minimum thickness you should use. Make sure that you secure it at the walls with spikes (large fender washers will hold the plastic) or bricks, tape the seams. You will need to check the current codes, most codes require a vented crawlspace with a vapor barrier to have 1 sq foot of vent opening per each 150 sq ft of space. I find that a power vent(s) attached to a humidistat is almost a necessity to provide for proper air flow. Insulating the floor joist may also be necessary. If you live in an area where the humidity is high in summer and varies in the winter months, then venting a crawlspace is not a good idea. Bringing the crawlspace into the building envelope, sealing any vents and conditioning the space is the answer. Please check out basement systems website they explain the process much better then I can write it.
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RemodelingGuy
Moderator Posts: 890
From: Houston, Texas
Registered: Mar 2001
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posted 05-21-2004 08:52 AM
I was little or no help with my link there! :-( I think we need more DRAINAGE info on the site!
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provip
Moderator Posts: 1115
From: Victoria, BC, Canada
Registered: Mar 2001
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posted 05-18-2004 06:43 PM
Yes. Try to promote drying in the crawl space if you can while the summer dry air is with you. Open it to the outside as much as you can and even run a fan during the warm days. Should'nt take too long assuming water isn't coming in from outside. ------------------
Bart Blainey, B.E.R.
Consultant/Journeyman Carpenter
Building Envelope Specialist
Master Renovator
provip@prodeck.org
www.prodeck.org Barton Blainey (provip) specifically assumes no legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, completeness or usefulness of any information or process disclosed. The above further expressly advises that any use of or reliance upon the information and or opinion disclosed is at your risk .
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Overwhelmed
unregistered
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posted 05-18-2004 11:20 AM
I intend to put french drains around that corner of the house (upslope side). It's dry season now (California) so there won't be more rain until late fall, but the crawlspace is still wet. Should I wait until the ground dries to cover it with plastic?
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provip
Moderator Posts: 1115
From: Victoria, BC, Canada
Registered: Mar 2001
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posted 05-15-2004 09:12 AM
The absolute first thing to do is address the cause which appears to be drainage. You’re wasting your time with anything else until you do this. The water must be directed away from the corner of the house. It’s best if you can do this totally on the outside, but sometimes it may be necessary to put a sump pump in. There are a number of ways to do this. Depends on topography, soil conditions and types, etc. Once this is done then you can dry out the crawl space and place a plastic sheet down. This must be done properly as well. A concrete layer over the plastic will give you a nice ground seal for moisture and any ground gases. ------------------
Bart Blainey, B.E.R.
Consultant/Journeyman Carpenter
Building Envelope Specialist
Master Renovator
provip@prodeck.org
www.prodeck.org Barton Blainey (provip) specifically assumes no legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, completeness or usefulness of any information or process disclosed. The above further expressly advises that any use of or reliance upon the information and or opinion disclosed is at your risk .
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RemodelingGuy
Moderator Posts: 890
From: Houston, Texas
Registered: Mar 2001
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posted 05-14-2004 07:33 AM
Read this - >> http://www.startremodeling.com/toxic_mold_brochure.htm ------------------
Jimmy McDonald
http://www.StartRemodeling.com
Jimmy@StartRemodeling.com http://www.ToxicMoldUSA.com
McMoldMan@ToxicMoldUSA.com
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Overwhelmed
unregistered
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posted 05-11-2004 08:09 PM
Trying to get a bedroom ready for new baby. Noticed a musty smell and found some dark stains on an old hardwood floor. Most of the stains are concentrated in one corner (uphill corner of house -- it has gotten wet under the house during rainy season and is currently moist). The mold stains are associated with the nail locations: the nails poke through the subfloor and are exposed to the moist air underneath. I've pulled up a few floorboards and there are black stains that spread in varying patterns around some of the nails. In this one section where it smelled some mold looked like it had gotten on the top surface of the floor. Most of this is concentrated in one corner of one room, but there are a few other places throughout the house that have tiny black stains at the nail points on a few boards -- notably under the thresholds of various interior doors. The wood floors were cleaned and sealed 6 years ago. I think most of those spots were there at the time, and in the rest of these places the discoloration What should I do? Pull more individual boards? A friend suggested laying plastic over the dirt in the crawlspace -- should I wait until later in the summer when it dries out? Obviously I need to address the drainage issue too.
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