The
beginning of remediation entails removal of all organic material
in the crawl space: this includes every scrap of wood left
by contractors and even nails because, as we remember, rust is
also a kind of fungus.
As stated above, I am not endorsing
the CleanSpace system. I think it has many interesting
features, but it is not perfect for many reasons, chief of
which is that while the basic material itself seems relatively
chemically stable, the other items used in installation emit
a truly horrible odor, very intense and awful.
On the positive side, my house
is dry. For the first time since I moved in, light
bulbs do not pop when I flip a switch. There is also
less dust. The air filters are lasting longer, but
the air is not fit to breathe. It is ghastly toxic
and completely unhealthy. Too bad! This is another
good idea that came highly recommended which is too imperfect
for use in any space where air from the encapsulated area
mixes with air in occupied areas. Perhaps there is an alternative
material to the one that has too many VOCs to be considered
safe.
One of the contractors at the
mold seminar I attended said he stopped using the CleanSpace
system and went to a kind of concrete that is sprayed into
the crawl space. It is treated with some sort of polymer
that makes it water proof. It is applied evenly, about
three inches thick. It takes about a month to cure
and then is strong enough to bear weight should one need
to crawl on it. He said it costs roughly twice what
the CleanSpace costs. I was unable to locate anyone
familiar with this material and the cost seemed prohibitively
expensive; moreover, the idea that the material would take
so long to cure seemed dangerous because there would be a
lot of moisture involved in the process so the risks of mold
growth might be aggravated until the evaporation has
run its course.
Costs
CleanSpace
Encapsulation System: $6250. Warranty
is 25 years. Additional expenses were incurred for removal
of mold-contaminated insulation, cleaning following removal,
and installation of exhaust fan.
Ingrid Naiman
16 November 2005
Updated 11 December 2006
Air
Pressure Issues 
Hidden
Mold in Crawl Space || Installation
of Crawl Space Encapsulation
CleanSpace
Installation A-Z || Garage || Air
Pressure
Remediation
Attire || Duct Cleaning || Particulates || Mold
Dog
Sacred
Medicine Sanctuary
Copyright by Ingrid Naiman
2005
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