Healthy Basement Systems Q&A
Mold can thrive anywhere there is moisture and organic material (like wood) that it uses as a 'food' source. That makes a basement or crawlspace an ideal haven. Encapsulation and dehumidification are the keys to getting rid of mold problems and their accompanying smells. Our CleanSpace vapor barrier will protect your crawlspace from moisture coming in through the walls and floor in your crawlspace. Adding a SaniDry dehumidifier takes care of any remaining ambient moisture, which makes your crawlspace unhospitable to mold.
Cold air rising from the basement or crawlspace floor, walls, or through gaps and spaces in the rim joists, could be causing you to feel like your walking on ice in your own home. Insulating these three areas can lead to warmer floors and lower electric bills.
TerraBlock insulation is a foam insulation with vapor barrier included that is great for floors. Our SilverGlo insulation creates a radiant barrier on the walls that reflects heat back into the basement.
Cold air entering through the basement or crawlspace works its way upward into the home, driving energy expenses through the roof. Insulating your crawlspace and basement can help keep the the entire home warmer and keep those bills lower.
In crawlspaces, ultimate energy savings can be acheived through three simple steps. We install TerraBlock insulation on crawl space floors. This is foam inslulation with a vapor barrier on both sides. We also put SilverGlo insulation on the walls to provide a thermal barrier and reflect heat back into the crawl space. Finally, we use RimTight on the rim joists to seal off common entry points for unwanted outside air.
These solutions will lead to considerably warmer spaces in the cold months and ultimately lower your energy bills.
ZERO. The need to "air out" a crawl space to prevent moisture and mold is a common misconception - the only way to keep your crawl space safe from the effects of ambient moisture and mold is to encapsulate it entirely with a product like our CleanSpace vapor barrier.
If you have a crack in your basement wall that needs to be fixed, the specialized FlexiSpan wall system will come to the rescue.
FlexiSpan is used to completely seal off cracks on your wall, while accomodating the movement of the wall over time. The sealant is made to move with the wall's natural shift to prevent the crack from expanding or growing. It is also waterproof, which prevents the sealant from deteriorating over time.
Keeping humidity out of your basement is very important for keeping your basement healthy. A basement humidifier is a great addition to any basement facing humidity issues as it will filter the moisture out of the air, helping to prevent mold growth. At Healthy Basement Systems, we have a basement dehumidifier that will not only filter moisture out of the air but also filter out small mold and mildew particles that might be in the air, helping to improve the air quality in the basement. Our SaniDry dehumidifier is self-discharging, meaning you won't have to worry about emptying a water bucket, making it the perfect addition to any basement facing humidity issues.
A French Drain is a perforated pipe that sits in a trench filled with gravel. This pipe collects any water that seeps into the basement and directs it to a sump pump system, discharging the water out of the home and away from the foundation.