Inspector Told Us We Need $2500 Dehumidifier in Crawlspace

Do you have gutters on the house, and if so, where is the water from the down spouts going?

This could easily be the source of your problem.

Enough moisture trapped in a foundation will cause the floor joists to rot. I know someone that this happened to on a house built in 1977. Nearly every floor joist in that house had to be replaced, including the main beam that ran thru the entire crawl.

If you do install a dehumidifier, where are you going to drain the water to? It is going to have to drain some where outside, away from the house!!!

But I bet most people went to Sears or someplace and spent around $100, not $2500. especially to dehumidify an area that it open to the outdoors.

It sounds as though you are at risk of having termites or fungus in your crawlspace, but the biggest threat you face is the shyster that is inspecting your house. You need a barrier that will prevent him from ever going under there again.

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Do you have a gas furnace in the house? Would it be possible to run a vent from the furnace to draw cold air from the crawl, assuming it isn't too wet. This would draw the damp air and some of the dampness out of the crawl.

I'm not a HVAC guy, but it seems that it would work.

I am stil trying to figure out where all the moisture is coming from in your crawl.

True, but drawing moldy air with fungus, into the living area, might not be the healthiest solution.

Why do you have an annual inspection? I think finding the cause of the problem would help first - then you might shop around for a dehumidifier... Any news on what's causing the problem and you might help us by telling us where you are........ It's been extremely wet here in Ky too!

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First off, don't panic. Do you trust this pest control company?

I had to LOL, when even though you live in an old house, the pest guy stated that the humidity would evenually attract termites. The crawlspace may have always been humid, as they are in many old houses. You'd think the termites would have already moved in long ago.

Have you confirmed that there is/was indeed mold in there and that they are not pulling one off?

What is the level of humidity in there? The humidity of crawlspaces should be the same as the outside air. Get two $8 electronic humidity gages that have a remote sensor. Put the remote sensor of one unit in the crawlspace and the remote of the other outside.

They are not that far out of line on a dehumidifier price. No contractor in his right mind, would put a $150 Menards dehumidifier special in there.

http://www.allergybuyersclubshopping...UP&itemId=2088

Good luck