A typical crawl space job around Spokane goes something like this.
The technician pulls the access panel and checks the ground first. Is there plastic down? Is it torn, bunched up or missing? Is there standing water, or a white mineral line on the foundation wall showing where water sat in spring? Then they look up at the joists and the underside of the subfloor with a flashlight and a moisture meter. Mold here is often white and fuzzy or a light gray spotting, which surprises people expecting black.
Then comes the question of where the water comes from. In this area the usual answers are snowmelt and spring rain draining toward the house instead of away from it, gutters that dump next to the foundation, a slow plumbing leak, or plain humidity from bare soil.
What the work usually includes
- Removing damaged insulation and debris
- Cleaning or treating mold on joists, beams and subfloor
- Replacing or installing a vapor barrier
- Fixing the water source, or telling you who should
- Moisture control options, from venting changes to full encapsulation with a dehumidifier
Encapsulation can be a big line item. Ask for the quote to break out the cleanup separately from the moisture control, so you can see what each part costs and decide.
If your crawl space flooded from a burst pipe or a big storm, see water damage and mold. The first few days matter.