Steven Rokes

This Kentucky homeowner had previously had a mold inspection done in their crawl space. When they got the results, the test came back high. They immediately contacted Healthy Spaces to get a head start on the mold problem that was living beneath them.

One of our trained Design Specialists arrived at the home and completed a thorough inspection of the crawl space. He noticed the mold and recommended that the homeowners get it remediated. On top of that, he recommended that the debris from inside was removed before the mold treatment. The homeowners agreed and also opted to put a 6mil vapor barrier. 

The crawl space is now free of mold and has a much more pleasant smell throughout the whole home. 

Homeowners in Chrisney, IN were purchasing this home. When they had an inspection done, the inspection report flagged the crawl space for having mold. With one of their children having terrible allergies, they knew that something had to be done before moving into this home. Their realtor told them about Healthy Spaces Fix It To List It program which offers priority scheduling and will only perform a full evaluation on what's listed on the inspection report. 

In the before photo, you can still see the mold on the wood. Mold issues can dramatically lower the value of your home, and any house with significant mold problems will be difficult to sell. Additionally, mold can lead to serious structural damage to your home, which can be expensive and unsafe.

In the after photo, you can see that our product has been applied. It foams on contact with the affected area to provide visual identification of the problems & allows us to clean and restore the structural surfaces in the crawl space. Some companies might only clean with disinfectants, addressing only surface soil load. The problem with this is it only cleans the surface soil load, leaving behind dirt, debris, pollen, mold. The product that we use cleans beyond the soil load and accomplishes total source removal leaving behind a contaminate free surface. 

Homeowners in Chrisney, IN, are now protected from regrowth and will have a drier, healthier space in their crawl space. 

Fordsville, KY, like most of the surrounding areas has two struggles to deal with: high groundwater levels and lots of dirt floor crawlspaces.  The combination of the two creates a crawlspace mold epidemic that has largely been ignored by many residents until the mold infestation is quite advanced.  After all, how often do we really inspect our crawlspaces?  As you can see here, the mold situation in this Fordsville crawlspace was advanced and causing issues like musty, damp smells throughout the home, increased indoor allergies, and more frequent sinus related and respiratory illnesses.  When the homeowners went to inspect the crawlspace, they discovered that mold was growing over practically every surface in the crawlspace.  The homeowners immediately contacted Healthy Spaces to get the crawlspace remediated.

Donnie Stutesville, a mold remediation expert with Healthy Spaces, came out and inspected the crawlspace.  He recommended a three pronged approach to resolving the crawlspace mold and moisture issues: 

1. Remediate the mold and fungus

2. Remove standing water, debris, and the like

3. Seal the crawlspace with a vapor barrier

Donnie recommended both a mold/fungus treatment and a preventative coating to stop regrowth.  He explained that the mold and fungus treatment would need to be scrubbed off of all surfaces to remove the dead fungi and spores, then that debris would need to be removed prior to coating the entire crawlspace with a preventative solution.  In addition, the crawlspace needed a water removal system with sump pump and a dehumidifier.  Finally, the entire crawlspace needed a powerful vapor barrier installed to prevent the crawlspace from becoming moldy again.  You can see in the after photo that the mold removal was successful and the wood looks great with it's clear preventative coating in place!

This family in Maceo, KY never went down to their crawl space. It was an "out of sight, out of mind" thing for them, but what they didn't know is that their crawl space was full of mold. In the before photo, you can see a nasty, old vapor barrier that has torn and become covered in mold. Not only that, but the barrier itself has pulled away from the walls and wrinkled up to the point that it is not functional. 

Healthy Spaces was called to help the homeowners get their crawl space back to a healthy and clean state. Our Design Specialist, Bob Roberts, created a plan to keep the crawl space dry and moisture-free. The SilverGlo insulation panels contain tiny graphite particles, which give it that silver shine, and reflect heat back into the crawl space while keeping the cold out. A new plastic liner was also put down on the floor to help keep water and debris out. 

The combination of the liner and SilverGlo, This Maceo, KY crawl space is now smell free, mold-free, and warm. By keeping moisture and cold air out she will also have lower energy costs which will save her money as well. 

Homeowner Jared G. from Oakland City, IN was ready to make all of his basement dreams come true. With the condition of his former basement, he never went down there. Mold covered the walls, and water was puddled on the floor. The space was not healthy and it was a waste of square footage in his home. He decided he wanted a place to hang out with his family and friends and make the investment so if he ever decided he wanted to sell his home, it would be worth more.

Design Specialist, Bob Roberts, was called to do a thorough inspection of Jared's basement. In conclusion, the basement needed mold remediation and a WaterGuard system to make the basement dry. The mold was coated all over the block walls, but it was removed and treated by our crew. The WaterGuard system is a drainage system around the perimeter of the basement which drains directly into your sump pump when water enters through the walls of your basement. 

For the finishing products, Jared chose to install MillCreek Flooring. These have the warm, earthy look of wood, but are all plastic. One of the great characteristics of these floors is if there is ever a leak on these floors, just fix it and dry the area, and it's good as new. 

During the last year, homeowners in Haubstadt, IN, began having major issues in their basement. It flooded a few times, their existing sump pump overflowed, and the discharge line froze. They wanted to address these issues right away and prevent them from happening again.

Healthy Spaces replaced the failing sump pump with the TripleSafe System with a WaterWatch Alarm and a Battery Back-up. If the primary pump fails for any reason, such as a power outage, the battery back-up system automatically turns on.

The exterior discharge line was also replaced by the IceGuard Sump Pump Discharge Line System, which allows water to escape from a sump pump discharge line it the pipe freezes or becomes blocked for any reason.

These products will keep the homeowners' basement dry all the time!

Homeowners in Evansville, IN were looking at purchasing a home with a crawl space that had issues of groundwater intrusion, relative humidity, and was causing mold growth. 

In the before photo, you can clearly see the fungus growing on the wooden subfloor joists of an Evansville, IN crawl space. The fungus is growing and slowly decomposing the subfloor joist. If left alone over time, the problem could compromise the structural integrity of the subfloor joist. Thankfully, the homeowners were able to work out a deal with the seller who elected to completely destroy the fungus and have it properly removed by Healthy Spaces. 

In the second photo, you can see that the fungus removal has been completed on the subfloor joist. Each joist was individually scrubbed and cleaned on all sides in order to kill the fungus. 

This Evansville, IN crawl space was very damp with condensation and moisture taking over, and the homeowners needed a solution to repair and prevent this from happening again. The main problem that condensation and moisture give our crawl spaces is mold. If you have mold in your crawl space, you are breathing in 50% of that air on the first floor of your home. Homeowner, Will M., had dealt with this damp crawl space many times, and he was tired of putting his family's health at risk. He knew a lot of work needed to be done, so he decided to give Healthy Spaces a call to solve the problem.

Design Specialist, Chris Russel, quickly came to evaluate the situation. After Will and Chris worked together they came up with a solution to totally fix the issue, our production team came to the home to start the project. The solution was that the crawl space would need an EZ Flow Drain System so water can run to the sump pump in the crawlspace instead of pooling, SantiDry Sonoma, SmartSump, and CleanSpace. 

The SaniDry Sedona is a dehumidifier for your crawl space that eliminates damp, musty odors by drying and filtering the air. It is the most effective and energy-efficient flow through dehumidifier in the world. Our CleanSpace encapsulation system is lined in crawl spaces to permanently separate your home from the ground. This is part of a healthy crawl space and a healthy home. The SmartSump is used for your crawl space drainage system. It is designed just for crawl spaces because the liner and lid form a tight seal around the CleanSpace liner.

Will M. is very happy with how his crawl space turned out, especially knowing that his family is breathing healthy air. 

Henderson, KY sits directly along the banks of the Ohio River, which increases the groundwater intrusion, relative humidity, and the chance for mold and fungus growth in crawlspaces. In these two pictures, you can clearly see the fungus growing on the wooden subfloor joists of a Henderson, KY crawlspace. The fungus is growing and slowly decomposing the wood. In time, this problem could compromise the structural integrity of the subfloor joist. Thankfully, the homeowners have elected to completely destroy the fungus and have it properly removed by the Healthy Spaces team. In the second photo, you can see that the fungus removal has been completed on the subfloor joist. Each joist will have to be individually scrubbed and cleaned on all sides in order to kill the fungus. That's only half the battle, though. In order to make sure that the fungus does not return to the crawlspace and repopulate the areas where it was previously, the homeowners will need to have the crawlspace encapsulated. The best crawlspace encapsulation system is CleanSpace, an engineered film that will completely isolate the crawlspace from the dirt beneath and the outside air, allowing the HVAC system for the home to be more efficient and the crawlspace to remain drier, thus reducing the risk for fungus and mold growth.

The owners of this home in Sebree, Kentucky came to Healthy Spaces with the complaint that their living room smelled musty, old, and constantly dirty. Clearly, this is not the most pleasant smell to have in your home. The living room was built over a basement used for storing old belongings they no longer used, which was the culprit of the smell. Design Specialist, Damon Cheatham, was sent to perform an inspection and discuss options with the homeowners. 

In the ceiling of this basement, there was mold growth due to moisture in the space. Mold thrives in dark, moist environments where organic materials are present. This is the reason why basements and crawl spaces are perfect places for mold to grow. In this basement, we did a mold remediation treatment so the family had a clean and safe space below them.

Mold is one of a homeowner's worst fears because it damages property, causes illness, makes a basement smell like a basement, and too often makes the whole house smell like the basement. If you have a mold problem caused by water or moisture in your basement or crawl space, Healthy Spaces offers proven waterproofing, moisture control, and mold treatment solutions. Call for your free estimate today. 

Tim G. from Madisonville called knew there was water in his crawl space but always ignored it. The water especially gathered around the perimeter of the crawl space and was always puddled. Along with the water came mold. Tim knew the air he was breathing wasn't healthy so he decided to give us a call, and we were so glad he did.

Our design specialist Bob Roberts came out to do a free inspection and decided that Tim's crawl space would need mold remediation, a new sump pump, and CleanSpace installed. Our crew first started with remediating all of the mold growing in the crawl space. The SmartSump will be an exit line for the water that gets into the crawl space. The CleanSpace encapsulation product is a 20mm white thick plastic lining that entirely seals off the crawl space from the harsh elements below. It keeps mold and moisture from growing on it as well and especially helps in hot summer months.

Mold is never a good thing.  Sometimes, it's caused by a flooding crawlspace, increased groundwater, and other easy to combat issues.  Other times, the source of the moisture feeding the mold is a bit harder to detect.  In this Corydon, KY home, the source of the moisture took several months to discover and by that time, the mold growth was explosive!  The problem began with a small leak in the line coming out from the washing machine.  It was a dripping that traveled along the pipe and was virtually undetectable because it was happening within the walls.  After time, the surrounding area was so moist that the drywall collapsed upon itself at a touch.  The surrounding carpet and pad, subfloor, and pipes were all covered in a thick layer of mold.  

As you can see in the before picture, the mold was growing all over the area, which was hidden beneath the house and was only visible in the crawlspace.  It wasn't until a design specialist from Healthy Spaces took a look at the crawlspace that the damage was finally revealed.  It's suspected that the leak had been occurring for at least 9 months before it was severe enough to be detected.

The after photo shows the amazing difference that the mold remediation team at Healthy Spaces created.  They treated the affected area with Biocide and Forticell to kill the mold, then thoroughly scrubbed every surface to remove the spores and dead mold.  After removing the debris, they made sure the leak had been resolved and were able to repair any damage from the mold in the subfloor.

Homeowner John B., in Albion, IL started noticing water building up in his crawl space. If left alone, humidity and excess moisture can lead to mold growth, wood rot, and pest infestations. Crawl space moisture often migrates upstairs through the "stack effect," contributing to structural damage, musty odors, and high energy bills. 

Our team first had to go in and perform mold remediation. Next our team installed a waterproofing system in the crawl space that included a SmartSump Crawl Space sump pump system and EZ Flow Drainage. The last step was to install a durable vapor barrier made of a 20-mil material similar to a pool liner called CleanSpace. CleanSpace® 20 mil vapor barrier is puncture and tear resistant. An anti-microbial agent is blended into the liner to kill mold and bacteria. John will now have peace of mind knowing that his crawl space in Albion, IL is clean and dry. 

Homeowner Kent W. from Cadiz, KY hadn't been down in his crawl space in years, and quite frankly, he didn't want to be. He knew that his crawl space was in good condition when he bought his home 15 years ago, but recently noticed a stronger smell of mold in his home. He couldn't pinpoint exactly where the smell was coming from but decided to give Healthy Spaces a call to fight the problem. Kent knew that the health and safety of his family was his top priority and would do anything to get this mold controlled. 

Design Specialist, Jason Dausmann, came to Kent's home to complete an inspection. Mold remediation would need to be done in the crawl space to make the home healthy again. Our crews came out and did just that. Now, Kent and his family have a healthy home to live in, without worrying about the health risks that come along with the mold. 

Your home is your largest investment- financially and emotionally. Fix the problem, like Kent did, before it becomes a nightmare.