Crawl Space Mold Removal in Shreveport, LA

Why mold grows in crawl spaces under Shreveport houses

Two kinds of moisture meet under a raised floor. From below, the clay soil holds water after rain and gives it off slowly, and when the plastic on the ground is torn, missing or never sealed at the seams, that damp rises straight onto the wood. From outside, warm humid summer air comes in through the foundation vents and hits joists and ductwork that the air conditioning has cooled from above, and it condenses the way a cold glass sweats.

Add a dryer or bath vent that ends under the house, a downspout dumping rain against the foundation, or a slow plumbing leak, and the joists and subfloor stay damp long enough for mold to take hold. The smell upstairs is crawl space air working its way up through the floor.

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Mold in the crawl space: who assesses, who removes

Louisiana does not allow one company to both assess and remediate mold on the same property. An independent assessor goes under the house, takes moisture readings on the joists and subfloor, checks the ground cover, insulation, ducts, vents and plumbing, and writes up where the water is coming from. The removal and the moisture fix are then priced against that report by a separate contractor. More on the assessment side is on the mold inspection and testing page.

How crawl space mold removal is done

Contain the space. Under a raised house the crawl space itself is the work area: the access is sealed and the air is pulled out through a filtered air machine so nothing comes up into the rooms.

Take out what cannot be cleaned. Wet or moldy fiberglass batts, old torn plastic and any building debris are bagged and removed.

Clean and treat the framing. Joists, beams, sill plates and the underside of the subfloor are brushed, scraped or blasted, vacuumed with filtered equipment and treated.

Stop the moisture. At minimum, a new vapor barrier sealed at the seams and up the piers, and the water source fixed. Where that will not keep the space dry, full encapsulation: a heavy liner up the walls and over the piers, the vents sealed, and a dehumidifier that runs all year.

Dry, then insulate. Dehumidifiers run until the wood reads normal, and new insulation goes back only once it is dry.

Cleaning and treating the framing usually takes two to four days, and encapsulation adds another two to three.

Crawl space encapsulation or a vapor barrier?

A vapor barrier on the ground stops damp rising from the clay. It does nothing about humid summer air coming in through the vents and condensing on the joists. For many Shreveport houses a properly sealed barrier, with the downspouts and grading fixed, is enough. Encapsulation is the stronger option where the crawl space holds ductwork, where hardwood keeps cupping, where the smell returns every summer, or where water stands after heavy rain. It needs the dehumidifier serviced once a year.

What crawl space mold removal costs in Shreveport

Cleaning and treating the joists and subfloor, with the wet insulation removed and a new vapor barrier, usually runs $2,500 to $6,500. Full encapsulation with a dehumidifier runs $6,000 to $15,000, depending on the size of the crawl space, how easy it is to get into, and whether drainage has to be added. A standard assessment is typically $300 to $600, plus $150 to $300 for the full crawl space portion. Every price on the site is on the mold removal cost page.

Prices on this page are estimates from previous work. We cannot quote an exact price. The actual cost can be lower or higher depending on the job. The person who knows is the professional who will do the work. You get a written quote after we see the house.

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Getting the crawl space checked

Call (318) 666-4874 and tell us what you smell or see, whether the floors are cupping, and whether water ever stands under the house. If you would rather write it down, use the callback form below or the contact page. If the AC ducts run under the house, see mold in AC units and ducts; if the crawl space flooded, see water damage restoration.