Tag: Cat Litter

Crawl Space Dehumidifier-Aid In Mold Prevention

Crawl spaces can be creepy places anyway and when they are wet and musty they can be even more creepy, not to mention nasty. That musty smell is probably due to mold and mildew that has grown in it’s favorite environment, a wet one. If your crawl space is like this then you probably should consider getting a crawl space dehumidifier.

Crawl spaces are dark, cramped and hard to work in but if you are going to fix the problem you are going to have to get in there and get busy.

First, assess the situation, get enough light in there to see well and look around to see if there is any standing water anywhere. If there is then mop it up with a rag or towel. If it returns then try to figure out why. Check pipes for leaks and fix them yourself or hire someone to come in to fix them before you go any further. If the pipes are free of leaks then check for a way for rain or snow to get in from outside.

The puddles may only be due to condensation or even the ground water. In these cases the dehumidifier will only do so much. You will probably have to encapsulate your crawl space to get it to stay dry.

Before you get to work on the encapsulation, run the crawl space dehumidifier for a few days to make your working conditions a little better. Do not forget to empty the collection container or you will just have to start all over again.

Next, you need to make the floor of the crawl space as even as possible to help the puddles stay gone. You could even bring in some sand or use a few bags of cat litter to help absorb moisture on the dirt floor of your crawl space.

Now you need to get the liner in there and fasten it to the walls with an industrial adhesive. The liner you use should be antimicrobial and have zero permeability. If this is confusing for you ask an expert. The liner should be installed no less than 18 inches up the walls of the crawl space.

Make sure to overlap the liner on the walls and when you roll it out on the floor. Secure the seams with duct tape to prevent gaps. This is obviously not a one day job but when it is all done you will have a nice, dry, better smelling crawl space and will have effectively saved yourself a lot of repairs as mold and mildew will destroy wood and other materials used to build your house.

When the crawl space is dry and encapsulated, you should still run the dehumidifier as needed to keep it from getting musty again. Remember, if the crawl space is cool, and it probably is, make sure the crawl space dehumidifier is one that will operate efficiently at low temperatures so it does not freeze up. If it freezes up it will not work as efficiently as it should and coould even shut down completely.

Boat Dehumidifiers

If you have a boat and do not do anything to maintain the moisture level on that boat, especially when storing it, you may ruin the risk of mold and mildew growing on upholstered surfaces and corroding all of the electronic components needed to run the boat. Boat dehumidifiers will help control the moisture introduced by the environment.

Boat dehumidifiers can be used either during or after storage to remove moisture inside the boat cabin. Other moisture control products or devices can help remove moisture as well. Silica based products come in all shapes and sizes of boxes or bags that can be strategically placed or hung throughout the cabin to absorb moisture.

Anything that will draw the moisture out of the air will help deter mold and mildew from forming over the winter season when the boat is not being used. Keeping moisture from getting into sensitive electronic compartments will keep your boat from needing costly repairs and replacement of expensive components.

Mildew and mold thrive in moist and humid environments. If you do not control the amount of moisture in the air inside the cabin during storage then you may end up with mold and mildew growing on every surface in the cabin and even embedded in the upholstery.

Hard surfaces can be cleaned effectively with a bleach water solution but the upholstery may never be the same. It will probably need to be replaced if this happens. It may be a good idea to clean every surface thoroughly with a bleach water solution before closing the boat up and sending it to storage along with the moisture control items or dehumidifiers.

This could just maybe save your bacon when it comes time to open the boat back up for the season. Hopefully there will be no musty, mildewy smell inside the cabin at all when boating season comes around again.

A possible cheaper method for moisture control is using cat pan litter. You could get double the benefit with the cat litter, moisture control and odor control. I have never tried this but seems to me those are the things that cat litter is made for so it would be worth a shot to find out.

Experiment before you try it for a full storage season and if it works then go for it. Cat litter is probably a lot less expensive than those other products. Pick one with a nice fresh scent or find an organic blend that has no perfumy smell.

Once you take the boat out of storage and get her back in the water you should open her up and let her air out some with a slow ride around the bay to get all the stagnant air replaced with fresh. A marine fan is another great idea to use when the boat is docked at the marina.

Boat dehumidifiers are the best way to decrease that amount of moisture inside the cabin or inside storage areas of the boat. Never put life jackets or other equipment away when it is wet. Always let it thoroughly air dry before stowing it away.