Why remove the old insulation instead of adding to it?

Fallen or damp fiberglass in a crawl space has usually absorbed the conditions around it. Adding insulation over it traps that moisture against the framing. Removal lets us see and clean the joists and subfloor underneath.

Does crawl-space work affect the rooms above?

Frequently. Air moves upward through a building, so crawl-space conditions influence floors, odors and humidity on the level above. That is one of the reasons the space is worth restoring rather than sealing off and forgetting.

Is restoration the same as encapsulation?

No. Restoration is the cleanup and treatment of an already-degraded space. Encapsulation is the sealed liner and moisture-control system installed after that space is clean and the water is controlled.

Crawl Space Restoration & Structural Protection

Crawl Space Restoration

Clean it out, clean it up, then control the moisture.

A wet crawl space is a moisture engine sitting under the living space above it. Air, odor and humidity move upward. Restoring a crawl space means removing what has failed, cleaning the structure properly, and then managing the moisture condition so the same failure does not repeat.

Request an Inspection Call Home Remedies

Two Home Remedies technicians in white Tyvek suits, respirators and clear eye protection cleaning a crawl space — one scrubbing a concrete foundation pier, the other holding a black vacuum hose — with blue HEPA negative-air equipment on a taped vapor barrier beneath exposed floor joists

Removal

Removal of fallen, saturated or contaminated insulation
Removal of construction debris and old or torn vapor barrier
Removal of unsalvageable stored materials with owner approval

Cleaning

HEPA vacuuming of joists, subfloor, framing and foundation walls
Detail cleaning of structural wood surfaces
Controlled debris containment and removal from the property

Treatment and sealing

Where the scope calls for it, appropriate treatment or sealing products are applied to structural surfaces according to the manufacturer's instructions and the written scope of work.

Moisture management

Restoration is finished by addressing why the crawl space was wet: a 20-mil reinforced vapor barrier, encapsulation where appropriate, drainage or sump correction, and dehumidification sized to the space.

Documentation

See documented project work

Photographs from completed and in-progress Home Remedies projects are published in the Project Library.

Conditions this service addresses

Illustrative reference imagery of these conditions — not Home Remedies project work. Completed Home Remedies projects are published in the Project Library.

Reference photo of a damp crawl space — Illustrative example — Damp soil and failed vapor barrier conditions under a floor assembly.

Questions

Water problem? Start with an inspection.

Tell us what you are seeing and we will investigate the moisture source, document conditions, and put a written scope in your hands.

Request an Inspection Call Home Remedies · 202-680-0026

Active water loss or urgent intrusion? Call rather than submit a form so we can triage it directly.

Crawl Space Restoration

Removal

Cleaning

Treatment and sealing

Moisture management

See documented project work

Conditions this service addresses

Frequently asked

Work that often goes with this

Crawl Space Encapsulation & 20-Mil Vapor Barriers

Basement & Foundation Waterproofing

Mold Remediation

Water problem? Start with an inspection.