Is Old Crawl Space Butyl Tape Reusable?

Q: What happens to butyl tape when you replace the vapor barrier in a few years? Is old butyl tape reusable for the new vapor barrier? Would I have to apply a new strip of butyl tape under or over the currently installed rubberized butyl tape? A: I don’t recommend using old butyl tape if…

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Should I Remove Wood Touching Dirt Floor

Should you remove old wood touching concrete or dirt floor in a crawl space or basement? Is it a termite attractor? “I have a house built in 1947 that’s on the water in Long Island, NY. There are old wood planks (2×4) in the middle of the main area of the foundation floor. Wondering if…

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Should I Test for Radon in My Crawl Space?

When testing for radon, should I test in the crawl space, living space or both? At what levels is radon considered bad? We hear these questions constantly. Because of the confusion surrounding radon and crawl spaces I decided to reach out to a radon professional. I wanted someone who studies radon and teaches others how…

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Mold in Crawl Space: What’s the Cause and What to Do

Finding mold in your crawl space is bad. Removing mold only to see it return due to the source not being addressed is insane. I read all over the internet steps for removing mold. Many of the steps are great ideas and would be very effective except most don’t cover addressing the source. It makes…

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Is an Indoor Air Quality Assessment Important?

Do you think an indoor air quality assessment is important? The average person spends 90%+ of their time indoors. This is increased during the workday. Most of us understand the importance of eating good food and drinking clean water, but indoor air quality is rarely discussed. Imagine which is more important this way. You can…

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Best Moisture Level for Wood in Crawl Space

What is the best moisture level for wood in the crawl space? We are constantly discussing wood moisture levels being too high, but is too low a problem? Many crawl spaces are too wet but once they dry out, what is too dry? Can a damp crawl space that dries out have any issues? How…

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Why Do I Have Cave Crickets in My Crawl Space

If you own a home with a crawl space it may be full of cave crickets. Why are cave crickets attracted to some crawl space and not others. Are they harmless little creatures that should be tolerated or a sign of a major problem that needs to be addressed? Love them or hate them, cave…

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Are Wet Foundation Walls Bad?

I think it is fair to say that many contractors and home builders do not consider wet foundation walls to be a bad thing. If they did, they would put more emphasis on properly waterproofing the outside of the home during construction. Many times, crawl space repair contractors seem not interested in addressing wet foundation…

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What is a Class 1 Vapor Retarder?

Crawl spaces require a class 1 vapor retarder to be installed on the exposed dirt to assist in moisture control. Although, moisture control is the goal, rarely is installing a vapor retarder alone able to control moisture. Many builders and home improvement contractors are under the assumption that throwing down plastic controls crawl space moisture…

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