ATTIC AND CRAWLSPACE ODORS

Odors are one of the most common problems found in attics and crawlspaces. The most likely source of odors is damp air.

Crawl Space Cleaning San Ramon treats the odors with an EPA Registered, Non-Toxic, Chemical-Free, Botanical Fungistat/ Disinfectant that kills 99.99% of harmful odor causing bacteria. We are so pleased with our products and their results, that we offer a 1 Year Warranty against odor recurrence for our attic and crawlspace projects when fixing any odor problems. If the odor comes back, we will re-treat for FREE.

DEBRIS REMOVAL

We find many San Ramon attics and crawlspaces littered with debris. Debris left in your attic or crawlspace are affected by moisture in the air. Paper, cardboard, wood from construction and insulation are just small examples of what we find. All of the things mentioned above have one thing in common: they smell really bad as they decompose. Removing the debris from your attic or crawlspace reduces the opportunity for odors and critters.

ATTIC AND CRAWLSPACE MOISTURE

There are many sources of moisture that can affect your attic or crawlspace. Open vents, lack of a vapor barrier, un-vented appliances and foundation side wall penetration can all allow enough moisture to keep the humidity levels excessively high. This in turn causes odors to appear, and bugs and critters that like damp environments will want to come and invade your space.

INSULATION

There are several methods to insulate your attic or crawlspace. The most common method is standard fiberglass batted insulation placed in the joist cavities; this is referred to as sub-floor insulation. In our area of the east coast, the required minimum is insulation with an R-19 rating. Most codes are also now allowing insulation to be placed vertically on the foundation walls, providing it meets the requirements for fire and smoke spread. This type of insulating is usually done with a ridged Styrofoam board of several inches. In some cases the newer reflective foil insulation is being used as a supplement and to achieve the required R values, some types of this insulation can also serve as a vapor barrier.
Very often Crawl Space Cleaning San in Ramon sees sub-floor insulation that is installed incorrectly. 

The two most common problems that usually need to be corrected are insulation that is installed upside down, and insulation that is not secured correctly. A key indicator of a substantial moisture problem in the crawlspace is when sub-floor insulation is pulled from its supports and starts to separate. Condensation forms and makes the insulation too heavy for the insulation supports to hold. Insulation does play an important part of keeping your attic or crawlspace in a good condition. The International Residential Code requires that sub-floor insulation be installed; if sub-floor insulation is not installed, then the foundation sidewalls must be insulated.

Generally if the insulation is installed correctly and is not severely separated we can re-tuck the existing sub-floor insulation, and any insulation that has fallen to the ground is disposed of. New insulation can then be replaced in the missing areas. Unfortunately, when insulation is installed upside down and the craft paper is wet it must be removed and disposed of. Crawl Space Cleaning in San Ramon will evaluate the current insulation; if the insulation can continue to be used we will tell you. If not, we will discuss the available options to provide you with the best and most cost-effective solution.