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Crawl Space Repair
Musty Smells and Odors

BAY Crawl Space & Foundation Repair Helps Provide Safe & Healthy Homes

Musty Smells in Crawl Space – Causes and Removal

Musty smells and odors in the house are very likely coming from the crawl space. If the house smells musty after a big rain, you very likely have a moisture problem in the crawl space. The good news is that most smells can be removed if you eliminate the source of the smells.

When a big rain occurs, the ground can become saturated and cause standing water to infiltrate the crawl space by penetrating the porous mortar joints in brick. Water can easily stream through the walls of a crawl space because most crawl spaces are “below grade.” When the ground is lower in the crawl space than it is outside, water takes the path of least resistance by seeping through mortar joints. Also, groundwater can become an issue, especially in areas with clay in the soil.

For professional moisture control or encapsulation services in the greater Hampton Roads, VA region, learn more about BAY Crawl Space & Foundation Repair at our Home PageAbout Us Page, or Request A Quote Page.

The Main Causes of Musty Smells from the Crawl Space:

  • Groundwater stimulates smelly minerals in the soil
  • Standing water is becoming stagnant and developing odors
  • Mold and mildew commonly produce foul odors
  • Rodents or Rodent Droppings
  • Dead animals
  • Sewage leaks in the drain lines of the plumbing

If you have concerns about any of the above issues, it’s important to accurately diagnose the causes of your concerns. There could be one or more of the above issues present. Our expert inspectors are trained to diagnose the root source of any issues, to propose the best solution.

The best ways to remove smells from a crawl space depend on fixing what is causing the smells.

Here are the Solutions to Remove and Eliminate Smells and Odors:

  1. Eliminate groundwater and flooding with French drains and sump pumps
  2. Prevent the crawl space from flooding with gutters and downspout extensions
  3. Completely clean out the crawl space
  4. Install a new vapor barrier or crawl space encapsulation
  5. Kill the mold and fungus
  6. Evict any rodents from the crawl space
  7. Remove the conditions that rodents prefer – moisture, water, food, insulation (bedding), etc.
  8. Have a plumber remove contaminated objects and treat the sewage affects areas

Once the causes of the musty smells have been properly eliminated, the odor should go away. If you would like help identifying the best approach to eliminating smells in your crawl space, you can have one of our trained inspectors visit your home and inspect your crawl space for free.

Inspecting Your Home for Causes of Odors and Smells

Our Expert Advisors are trained to identify the causes and best repair options for your home. If you’re concerned about the integrity of your home, we offer free, no-obligation inspections and estimates. When we inspect your home, we explain the problems and solutions and explore multiple options to find the best solution for you.

Why Choose BAY for Your Musty Crawl Space?

BAY Crawl Space & Foundation Repair is your one-stop solution for crawl space odors in Virginia Beach, Newport News, Suffolk, and the surrounding region. Our expert teams have over 400 collective years of experience fixing homes in the Hampton Roads, VA & NC region.

Our staff includes engineering experts, repair specialists, and a full support team ready to deliver exceptional customer service and a fast turnaround of your project. This is why BAY Crawl Space can offer great long-term warranties on the installation and materials for your repair.

You can learn more about BAY’s crawl space odor solutions by taking advantage of our free crawl space and foundation inspection. Your inspection will give you a much better understanding of the issues at hand, along with your best options for repair.

Contact BAY Crawl Space & Foundation Repair today by filling out our online form or call 757-460-0444 for a free inspection.

About BAY Crawl Space & Foundation Repair

BAY is an award-winning crawl space and foundation repair contractor. We’re proud to service an 80-mile radius around our Norfolk, VA headquarters, Monday to Friday, from 7 am to 5 pm.

BAY is best known for having amazing reviews (quality & quantity), superior expertise, special methods, and affordable pricing options. We have the ‘Best of the Best’ on our team. Our All-Star Team delivers great customer experiences and the best quality for a great price.

Our reputation in the Hampton Roads community is with homeowners, engineers, city permitting offices, home services professionals, and online as a crawl space foundation repair contractor is outstanding.

Reviews Summary & Links We have ranked #1 for crawl space repair in Hampton Roads for 8 years (Google: 2015-2023), ranked top 5% in the USA with Super Service Awards for 5 years (Angi: 2017-2022), were voted Best of Foundation Repair locally for 6 years (CoVA BIZ 2018-2023), were voted “Best of the Best” nationally in 2020 for the foundation repair category, and won the “Best Places to Work” award (CoVA BIZ).

Customer Reviews

Our Reviews Reflect Our Commitment to Taking Great Care of Our Customers

  • After shopping companies and getting several bids on the same project, we chose Bay Crawl because of their reputation and price. They had our whole house leveled and stabilized in two days. Left our property cleaner than they found it with a smile on their face. Do NOT plan your next project without getting an estimate from Bay Crawl.”

    – Ryan Simpson
  • “Our experience with Bay was outstanding. From first contact everything was smooth and made as easy as possible for us. We were kept informed every step of the process via email, phone, and text. The work was top-notch. The cost was extremely reasonable. We were impressed that Bay did not try to sell services that weren’t required.”

    – Teresa Lackey
  • My experience was nothing but the best with Bay Crawl Space. The price was much more affordable than what another company quoted. Scheduling was easy and painless. They were professional and treated my home as if it was their own. They left me feeling very confident in my decision to go with Bay.”

    – Michael Turner
  • It was an easy decision to choose Bay Crawl Space over the three other estimates I had gotten—not only was the price reasonable based on my research, but Jamie was the only sales advisor who described more than one option that I could choose. The scheduling was very smooth! I am confident that if I have any problems, I can call & they will resolve them.”

    – Diane Taylor
  • “Severe water damage to the structure. We thought we were in real trouble but after talking with them, we felt much better as we were assured that this was “Easy.” Our experience with Bay was better than we have had with any other contractor EVER. Upfront with what to expect, honest in their communications, and fair pricing.

    – Mike O’Neill
  • “We had our crawlspace encapsulated by BAY three years ago at a fraction of the cost of JES’s estimate. The work was done on time and to exceptional standards. The office has been courteous, the workers arrived on time, and the work was accomplished as promised. BAY gets my highest recommendation.”

    – Bob Essman
  • “I am delighted with the crawl space encapsulation completed by Bay Crawl Space & Foundation Repair. What I particularly appreciate about BAY is their attention to detail & commitment to excellence. They were punctual and very much worth the value. I highly recommend Bay Crawl Space to anyone looking for excellent service & an affordable product.”

    – Leslie Ballard
  • “I’m not one to take home repairs lightly so I try and do my research. I got over 4 estimates to have my crawl space encapsulated and some repair work done. BAY beat the others prices by over 10k. Oh and they actually did more work that what the others quoted us to do. They also do quality work. So value for money, BAY is the company to go with.”

    – Benjamin Alexander
  • I had an independent civil engineer out to inspect prior to the BAY visit. I was afraid I might be oversold on repairs I didn’t need. This was not the case. BAY made the same observations and gave same explanations or better. Great job BAY on hiring honest and competent assessors. Very professional, will work with you again!”

    – Zachary Frey
  • “I’m super pleased with the work Bay did us, it made a difference almost immediately. Our service advisor, Beau, did an excellent job of identifying the issues in our crawl and offering reasonably priced solutions. The team they sent out to do the work was awesome. They were friendly, knowledgeable, and efficient!

    – David Green
  • Bay Crawl is by far the number 1 company for all of your crawl space and foundation needs. They are fairly priced. When coupled with the amazing service you receive, its a value that’s unbeatable. Every employee I interacted with was professional, polite, knowledgable, and hard working. You will not deal with a better run company than Bay Crawl.

    – Nicholas Cipriano