Where San Jose crawl space work fits
Crawl space cleanup and sanitizing is one of the services San Jose homeowners book with us. Most jobs include more than one service. It is a one-day job, and the old insulation, vapor barrier and ducts can be handled in the same visit.
A home on a raised foundation has a crawl space under the floor. If yours does, it is part of every free inspection: we go under the house and list what we find on the same written quote as the attic and garage.
Why rats like the foundation line
According to the University of California (UC IPM), Norway rats are burrowers. Their burrows run along building foundations and under woodpiles or rubbish, and indoors they usually stay in basements and ground-floor areas. For a house on a raised foundation, the crawl space is that ground-floor space.
That is why foundation vents matter. A torn, rusted or pushed-in screen is one common way in. Signs to look for from outside: droppings near a vent, dug-out soil beside the foundation, or a screen that is bent or missing. We close every vent with galvanized steel mesh, putty and concrete. See sealing outside openings.
The order we work in under a San Jose house
Most crawl space jobs follow the same order, so the new work goes onto a clean space:
- Clean out: debris, droppings, nests and fallen or soiled insulation come out and leave with us.
- Sanitize: the crawl space is sanitized after the cleanout.
- Seal: foundation vents and gaps around pipes are closed with galvanized steel mesh, putty and concrete. See rodent proofing in San Jose.
- Cover the ground: a white vapor barrier goes over the soil and wraps the piers. We install white, reinforced vapor barriers such as Viper CS.
- Insulate the floor: new batts go between the joists, held up with metal wire supports. R-19 is the most common under the floor, and we install any R-value you ask for.
- Ducts: damaged ducts under the floor can be replaced with new flexible insulated ducts.
Not every home needs every step. The free inspection shows which ones yours does.
A smell from under the house
A musty, urine or dead-animal smell often starts under the floor, and ducts that run through the crawl space can carry it into the rooms. Our post on why a crawl space smells explains the common causes. Cleaning out the source, sealing the vents and covering the ground fixes the cause, not just the smell.
Job day
Please be home. Clear the path to the work areas of breakable items, like pictures and vases. The crew covers the path from your front door to the crawl space access with drop cloths or plastic sheeting, and our crew sends you before and after photos.