How To Install A Vapor Barrier In Your Crawl Space

Installing a vapor barrier in your crawl space can go a long way in protecting your home from moisture that can damage your subfloor.  Most homes have vapor barriers covering the soil under their houses, but surprisingly many do not.  If your home is one of them, pay attention and I will tell you step by step how it is done.  There is nothing scientific about laying down a vapor barrier.  It is really hard work and is not for the claustrophobic, but any motivated do-it-yourself person could get the job done.  Here is how...

What type of vapor barrier material is needed?

Many older homes have a vapor barrier in place, but are not up to code and may not be functioning the way they should.  The type of material that should be used is a 6 mil black plastic.  If your home is older, you might see a 4 mil plastic or plastic that is clear.  Both of these are not as effective and should be replaced.  Of course, going with a thicker mil is always going to be better, but the cost goes up substantially for anything over 6 mil.  There are many companies using a really high quality vapor barrier that is 20 mil, but this type of material costs thousands of dollars and I am not quite convinced it is worth the price.

Getting started

First, you need to clear the crawl space of debris and any remnants from older sections of vapor barrier.  It is not recommended to lay a new vapor barrier over an old one.  Vapor barrier is often called "Visqueen" which is just a brand name, but there are actually a few brands out there that you can use.  We generally use "Husky" brand which can be purchased from Home Depot.  They come in rolls of 1000 square feet or 2000 square feet, but you want to buy more than the actual square footage of your home because you will be overlapping a lot.  If your home is 1000 square feet, you are probably going to end up using about 1200 square feet of vapor barrier, so plan accordingly.

Installing the vapor barrier

Look for the path of least resistance to roll out the vapor barrier.  Find the longest, widest run between the posts under your home to unroll it.  It is easier to start from the back and work your way towards your crawl space entry.

Cutting the vapor barrier

Like I said earlier, you are going to want to overlap it.  You should have about one foot of plastic overlap the foundation wall and about one foot overlapping the seams of the plastic.  The trickiest part of installing the vapor barrier are all the posts in the way.  When you unfold the plastic, take a sharp box knife and cut flaps to lay on either side of the posts.  It is okay if there is little gaps around the posts. 

Smooth it all out

Once you have it laid out and the flaps between the posts cut, you need to start crawling around and smoothing things out a bit.  Remember to keep about a one foot overlap on the seams and the foundation and realize that some gaps are okay.  A rule of thumb is that at least 95% of the ground must be covered.  

A couple things not to do

Many people ask about taping all of the seams.  This is a lot of extra work and can be useful, but we do not recommend it.  We prefer a floating vapor barrier so that water can drain if a pipe ever bursts or if water gets on top of the vapor barrier.  Think about it, if water cannot drain off the top of the vapor barrier, it is counterproductive to even have one!  

If you think you want to try doing this on your own, you certainly could do it.  Just be prepared for some hard work.  If you are in the Portland, Oregon or Vancouver, Washington area and need some help with it, be sure to give us a call.  We can give you a free estimate or at the very least, we can give you some advice.

Why Am I Hearing Scratching In My Walls?

It is a creepy thing to wake up and hear noises you cannot explain.  I once moved into a house and was awakened by a strange scratching noise in the walls of my bedroom.  I was living in Vancouver Washington and wasn't sure if I should call a pest control company.  I let it go on several more nights and I would start hearing the scratching in the middle of the night and it would always keep me up.  I hated that noise, but I couldn't figure out what to do about it.  Should I smash a whole in the wall and find it?  And, what was it anyway?

Now that I am actually running a pest control company, I am a little more informed as to what that scratching noise and other noises really are.  When people “hear something” at night, I can usually help them determine what they are hearing by asking a few questions.  So, let’s go through it together.  I would assume that if you clicked on this blog, you probably have had this issue in the past or have it now.

What was in my walls?

After looking around, I found out that I had mice in my attic and they were pretty bad.  What I found is that the mouse had fallen down into a wall void in an interior wall in my bedroom and was trying to chew its way out.  I decided to let things run its course and did not open the wall up and the mouse actually ended up dying in my wall.  It stunk for about a week and a half, but it wasn't overpowering, so I think I would rather have it stink for a little while than have to repair a hole in the wall.

When the scratching noise is from a rodent

Usually if you are hearing a scratching, chewing or scurrying from a rodent, it is in an interior wall void (like what I had).  Most other animals are not going to fit in such a tiny place.  You will probably only hear it at night and the mouse will move around a little bit and not tend to focus on just one area.  It will also stop making noise if it hears you moving around.  However, if the noise is a constant scratching sound and it doesn't stop when you are making noises, it might be the sound of carpenter ants chewing through the wood.

When you hear noises in the attic?

Depending on how loud the noise is, this can be a few different things.  If it is a really loud banging around, it could be a raccoon or an opossum.  If it is a lighter scurrying, it could be a mouse, but they are so light that they are hard to hear in an attic.  Most likely it is a rat or squirrel.  Rats and squirrels make their way into the attic through openings in the eaves of your roof line.  One thing to keep in mind is that they might not be in your attic at all, but could be running along your roof.  A lot of pest control companies go out to customers home just to find that they don’t have a problem at all and nothing is invading their home.  Lastly, if you hear chirping in your attic, you probably have a birds nest, which are common in this space.

When you hear noises in the crawl space?

Most of the time, if you hear noises in your crawl space, you have something large down there.  Raccoons commonly find their way into your crawl space and can do a lot of damage.  Again, rodents can be down there as well, but they are just not usually very noisy.  In fact, you probably would not hear rats or mice, but if your dog is going crazy and barking at the vents, then he is probably hearing them.

If you are hearing any strange noises and aren't sure what to do about it, please call a Portland pest control company that you can trust.  We are available to answer any questions and help you get rid of that creepy noise so that you can get some sleep!

Will Insurance Cover Raccoon Damage To My Crawl Space?

Maybe you have seen the Allstate commercial where "Mayhem" is a raccoon living in an attic.  Like any good raccoon, he is having the time of his life playing in insulation, chewing on wires and having babies.  Although many people found this commercial humorous, if you have recently had a raccoon in your attic or crawlspace, you are not laughing.

A raccoon can do an enormous amount of damage in very little time.  They generally will start to pull subfloor insulation down to nest in, detach air ducts and possibly chew on wires.  On top of all the damage that they can cause, they leave behind an extremely contaminated space in their wake, so if you think you might have a raccoon (or any other wildlife for that matter) living under your home, it is time to do something about it.

Luckily, many of you have this on your insurance policy right now.  A typical crawl space restoration bid can be anywhere from a few hundred dollars to several thousand dollars depending on the extent of the damage.  There have been many times that we have come to a customers home and found damage and suggested that the customer call their insurance agent before we start the work.  Many times we have found that the restoration was completely covered and the customer did not even realize it!

Steps to take if you have wildlife living under your home:

1) Call a Pest Control Company:  You need to first get rid of the wildlife in a safe manner.  This can be especially challenging if it is a mother with babies.  A pest control company can professionally trap and remove the animal/s and help you seal entry points (typically they get in from open vent screens in the foundation).  If there is damage in the crawl space, most pest control companies do this kind of work and will give you a bid.

2) Call your insurance agent:  Do not let the pest control company start until you have discussed the matter with your insurance agent.  They may need you to take pictures and allow an insurance adjustor to make sure that the price quoted by the pest control company is within their guidelines.  Unfortunately, there are companies out there that will bid crawl space restorations at outrageous prices, but your insurance company will alert you if this is the case.

3) Get the work done:  Make sure that the pest control company both cleans and disinfects the area.  There can be a lot of contamination left behind when dealing with wildlife.  Also, ask them if a flea treatment is necessary.  Raccoons and other wildlife are loaded with fleas and if they have been living under your home, you might have a problem with them as well.

If you are unsure if you have a wildlife problem and just have a few questions, please give us a call.  If you live in the area and need a Portland Metro Pest Control Company, we would love to hear from you!

Photo credit: Tambako the Jaguar / Foter / CC BY-ND

What Is A Crawl Space Restoration And Do I Really Need One?

A crawl space is a place of the home that most home owners have no interest in visiting.  It is dark, musty and just a little bit creepy.  It may not seem like the most inviting place to you, but to rodents, raccoon's and other wildlife, it is just perfect.  It provides these animals with warmth, shelter and safety.  You'd think that they would at least keep their new home tidy, but they totally trash the place!  In times like these, many pest control companies are going to recommend getting a crawl space restoration.

A crawl space restoration is just what it sounds like.  A contractor is going to have a crew pull everything out (insulation, vapor barrier, all the debris, etc).  Once all the contaminated parts have been removed, they will start the process of decontamination and then put fresh materials in to replace everything.  This maybe sounds simple because I summarized the whole process in just a couple sentences, but it is a grueling job that is extremely labor intensive, dirty and just plain gross!  A job like this can cost anywhere from several hundred dollars to a couple thousands of dollars.

Since it is so expensive, it is amazing to me that many home owners do not get multiple bids.  Usually the need for a crawl space restoration arises when a pest control company comes out and does an inspection of the crawl space for rodents or any other pests.  They find the problem, give a quote and over half of those customers that go with the work never even get a second opinion!

Is it needed?
That is the problem.  There are some companies that say that EVERY home that has any trace of rodents or any other animal, needs a crawl space restoration.  Although this is very convenient for their business model, I do not agree that it is necessary and I think that deep down, they don't actually believe that either.  My opinion is that a crawl space needs to have prolonged contamination covering at least 25% of the area before considering doing a restoration.

Are there any alternatives?
If your crawl space has only partial contamination, only a partial restoration is needed.  This is where you can save big money from getting a second opinion.  If you call a reputable company, they may say that you don't even need a restoration at all or you may only need a few areas cleaned up.  For example, maybe you only have contamination on the vapor barrier or in some of the insulation.  Don't let companies swing for the fences and replace everything just to get more money out of you.

Who do I recommend?
In my bias opinion, I recommend calling New Leaf Pest Control in Portland, Oregon.  Now, full disclosure, I work for this company, but I also believe they are the best in the area by far.  I also recommend Healthy Homes Pest Control in Seattle, Washington.  If you have had a bid and need to get a second opinion, I would recommend calling either of these companies because they are straight shooters and will give you a fair, honest assessment.  If you have any questions or if you have been recently swindled by a company bidding a restoration, I would love to hear from you.  Please email me or comment below.