Crawl Space Mold Removal in Baton Rouge, LA

Why crawl space mold is so common under Baton Rouge houses

The air under a Baton Rouge house is rarely dry. NOAA's 1981-2010 hourly normals for the airport put the average dew point at 70.7°F in June, 72.8°F in July and 72.6°F in August, and rain is spread through the year: even November, the driest month, averages 3.90 inches at the airport (1991-2020 normals).

A vented crawl space breathes that outdoor air all season. Add bare soil or a vapor barrier that tore years ago, fiberglass batts that have soaked up water and sagged, AC ducts sweating as they cross the space, and rainwater that pools against the piers after a heavy storm, and the wood underneath the floor stays damp enough to grow mold for months at a time.

Crawl space mold: what it looks like above and below the floor

From inside the house: a musty smell strongest near the floor and worst on humid days, wood flooring that cups or gaps, soft or bouncy patches, and doors that start to stick. From underneath: white or gray fuzz on the joists, dark staining on the subfloor, insulation hanging loose or lying on the ground, water beading on ductwork, and wet or puddled soil.

Call (225) 422-7176

How crawl space mold removal is done

An independent assessor goes under the house, probes and reads the moisture in the framing, notes the state of the vapor barrier, insulation, ducts and drainage, and writes a scope. A crawl-space assessment with its own report is $400 to $700.

The remediation contractor then clears out wet insulation, old plastic and debris, vacuums the joists and subfloor with filtered equipment, removes heavy growth from the wood and treats it. A joist that has rotted through is replaced. Low ground that holds water is regraded or drained. Only once the framing is dry does the space get its new vapor barrier or encapsulation, and an independent clearance check of the crawl space follows, at $200 to $400.

Crawl space encapsulation or a vapor barrier

A vapor barrier is a sheet of heavy plastic laid over the ground, lapped and taped, to stop moisture rising from the soil. The vents stay open, so it does nothing about humid outdoor air. Encapsulation goes further: a thicker liner runs up the walls and around the piers and is sealed, the vents are closed, and a dehumidifier holds the air in the space at a set level.

Which one fits depends on drainage, whether ducts run through the crawl space, how the house is used and the budget. A sealed crawl space that floods or loses its dehumidifier is worse off than a vented one, so drainage is settled first.

Crawl space mold removal cost in Baton Rouge

Part of a crawl space, the joists and subfloor under one wet area, is $2,000 to $5,500. The whole crawl space cleaned and treated with the wet insulation out and a new vapor barrier is $3,500 to $9,000. Full encapsulation with a dehumidifier is $7,000 to $18,000, moved by the size of the space, the access and any drainage work. Replacing a rotted joist adds $150 to $400 a linear foot. The cost page lists every job.

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Crawl space mold and Louisiana's assessment rule

The firm that crawls under your house to assess the mold may not also be the firm that remediates it, and no contractor may own a stake in both (La. R.S. 37:2158(A)(23)). An independent assessor writes the scope and a separate remediation contractor carries it out. That separation matters under a house more than anywhere, because few owners will ever go down there to check what a contractor says it found.

Calling about crawl space mold

Call (225) 422-7176 and describe the smell, any floor problems, how the crawl space is reached and whether it has plastic on the ground. Did the house take water in August 2016? Mention it, because floodwater under a raised house leaves its own marks. Prefer to type it out? Use the callback form below.

• Ducts and returns running under the house
• Raised houses after high water
• The crawl-space assessment and report
• Crawl spaces in Denham Springs and Walker