Mold needs warm temperatures, high relative humidity and organic material to grow. In our area, crawl spaces create the perfect environment for this. We did a physical wipe down of the joists with an antimicrobial to kill and remove the mold growing on the wood.
Fiberglass Batts between the joists absorb moisture like a sponge. They hold moisture against the wood joists and fall and sag over time. Their paper backing and the wood floor joists are organic material that often has mold growing on them. We removed the old insulation and installed new, foam board insulation on the crawl space walls.
Previously, this crawl space had a 6-mil lightweight vapor barrier that was torn and even missing in places. We installed the CleanSpace Encapsulation System. The CleanSpace vapor barrier is a heavy-duty 20-mil liner that is perfect for crawl spaces that have service persons working on equipment, plumbing, or electrical, or for storage. It resists rips and tears, and is fastened to the walls and wrapped around piers sealing the earth off from the home.
A 20 mil vapor barrier is laid, seams are taped, and it is adhered to the crawl space walls, replacing the old and torn 6 mil vapor barrier. Spray foam insulation is installed on the crawl space walls and the sill plate, rim and band, and vents are sealed.