
Larry Janesky's award-winning book
Larry Janesky, entrepreneur, owner and founder of Basement Systems Inc., as well as six other successful companies can now add “award-winning author” to roll of accomplishments.

Larry Janesky's award-winning book
Larry Janesky, entrepreneur, owner and founder of Basement Systems Inc., as well as six other successful companies can now add “award-winning author” to roll of accomplishments.
Your basement doesn't have to be unpredictable, but can be comfortably stable. On the other hand, a proposal is far better enjoyed when the surprise is left undiscovered. But, a basement's surprises are never just as sweet.
How has your basement surprised you in the past? Has it been the floods, the cracks or maybe the mold and must? Whether you've experienced one, multiple or different problems with your basement; hydrostatic pressure is one natural process that could be the cause of many severe basement issues.
What is Hydrostatic Pressure?
When a child hides behind his/her parent it's usually because of fear. When water hides behind a structure it’s in preparation for an attack. The prefix hydro- means water and static means standing or not moving. And when water stands behind a structure its volume only builds and builds until it finds a way through or around said barrier. Hydrostatic pressure is the pressure that a certain volume of water exerts on an object due to gravity.
What Does Hydrostatic Pressure Do?
Hydrostatic pressure can cause your retaining wall to buckle, can cause your foundation to move and walls to crack. Then, you guessed it; your basement will most certainly flood during those heavy rains.
This water pressure can even move through concrete foundations, because against popular belief, concrete is actually porous-- meaning it's not all that solid after all. It has many pores giving concrete its strength, but provides water its open access.How To Keep Your Basement Dry Against Hydrostatic Pressure
Some waterproofing systems utilize external ways to waterproof the outside of your home. This could very well include a tar or waterproof coating on the actual foundation. However, the most beneficial way to keep a basement dry is not by keeping the wall dry, but by preventing water from building up behind a wall-- thus applying high hydrostatic pressure.
An internal waterproofing drainage system actually meets the water at its prime hangout-- the wall-floor joint. Then, the water is diverted away from your foundation.
Compare External And Internal Drainage Systems
An external drainage system can take a long time to install and could cause a lot of landscaping damage or problems with your electric lines and plumbing. In addition to the work around your foundation, a disposal pipe is placed beneath the ground leading toward a well, which will also need to be dug.
This well can fill with water and the drain can clog-- this all due to the loose soil building up around the foundation and absorbing large amounts of water. In other words, the external "solution" is more of a short term mirage that causes the very problem it's said to be relieving.
In contrast, the internal system can take, at most, a couple of days to install and causes very little damage or residual issues. The internal system will not clog and rests directly on top of the footing.
This system will go around your entire foundation and prevents water from building up and pressuring your walls. No more cracks and no more buckling.
Where Does The Water Go?
Once the drainage system collects the water it will direct it toward a sump pump. This sump pump will them push the water out and away from the home. This sump pump is the heart of the system, if not for the sump, the drainage would have to run a pipe to the outside submitting itself to damage and making for easy access to rodents.
Basement Waterproofing Experts
For basement waterproofing in New Jersey, contact Quality 1st Basement Systems. They're the expert basement waterproofers in New Jersey and New York areas. They install the patented WaterGuard Drainage System that will waterproof your basement and prevent hydrostatic pressure. This system has been evaluated by the International Code Council formerly known as BOCA.
Mold and dry rot aren't the household guests you want sticking around. In fact, you don't exactly want them to come over in the first place. But, one thing leads to another and they're more persuasive than you'd expect. Then they deplete your homes value, condition and potentially lessen your home's life span.
Where Does Mold Grow?
Mold can grow just about anywhere that moisture can be found. However, in order for mold to stick around it needs more than just moisture, but it needs food. Mold loves organic materials such as carpet, wood, cardboard, and paper. Unfortunately, mold also destroys whatever comes between it and its meal.
Whether your air conditioning unit is leaking, water is leaking inside and onto your windowsill or your carpet never fully dried from the last flood in your basement-- mold will survive and stick around as long as the environment permits.
In addition, mold can significantly decrease your home's indoor air quality-- a worsening concern to many highly recognized organizations such as the Environmental Protection Agency. Mold can increase household allergy symptoms and produce an irritating smell most homeowners refer to as "must." In some instances, mold can even be toxic-- as is the case with black mold.
If you wipe it away you've only temporarily gotten rid of the mold and you haven't touched the problem. The problem is the moisture.
What is Dry Rot?
Dry rot doesn’t grow on a surface as mold does, but it's actually considered to be a condition. This fungus spreads throughout the wood at a torrential rate, rotting the wood from the inside out thus replacing the wood's strength with severe frailty. This makes it one of the most feared wood decomposing conditions around the world.
According to the Encyclopedia Britannica, its been approximated that each year 20 billion feet of timber is destroyed by brown rot, dry rot's alias. This becomes even more remarkable when compared to fire damage. There's more wood destroyed by dry rot than there is wood damaged by fire each year!
Dry rot is a serious force that many homeowners may have been fortunate not to encounter, but needs to be prevented.
Mold and Dry Rot
Although dry rot is seemingly far more destructive than the effects of mold, both are destructive and require moisture. However, against popular belief, neither mold nor dry rot will form in excessively wet environments. They won't grow in flooded basements because they don't grow in water but thrive in moist environments. Thus, a humid room or "muggy" space becomes most ideal.
Many homeowners find mold in two areas of the home: the bathroom and the basement. Similarly, the most common place to find dry rot is the bathroom. These two rooms are known for their moisture and even the unexpected leaky pipes or water "issues."
The bathroom can easily develop a water problem when the faucet or shower begins to leak, the toilet overflows with water, the shower water is too hot and the room maintains this muggy temperature.
The basement is commonly humid because of the increase in relative humidity caused by the entrance of humid outdoor air into the cooler basement air. This transfer can increase the basement's relative humidity by 2.2 percent per every one degree. And, of course, the basement can also experience the effects of a heavy rain storm or broken pipe or hot water heater.
So, what can be done to prevent or eliminate mold and/or dry rot?
Prevention & Repairs
Moisture control, moisture control and more moisture control.
Remember when we learned that wiping mold from a surface doesn't actually remove the problem? Well, that's because the moisture levels haven't been lessened. They may not have even been considered.
The best way to prevent mold growth or dry rot infiltration is by waterproofing your basement and fixing leaks and making other repairs very quickly.
In addition, dry rot can also result from a failing foundation because the wood comes in contact with the soil. This then provides just enough moisture for dry rot to take over.
For help evaluating your home's mold or dry rot condition contact the mold, basement, foundation, and crawl space repair experts at Quality 1st Basement Systems. For mold removal in New York and New York basement waterproofing contact them today!
Posted on: 2010/11/08 9:44:16am by: Samantha Walton
Perth Amboy, NJ - Many beach homes along the Shore have crawl space Perth Amboy, NJ - Many beach homes along the Shore have crawl space foundations that are susceptible to moisture problems that further induce mold, rot and other environmental problems. Quality 1st Basement Systems is the local expert highly trained and certified to assist such homeowners.Shore homes are at high risk of needing crawl space repair because of the moisture in and around the homes. When humid moist air enters a crawl space it cools, which then raises the relative humidity. Once the relative humidity rises in the environment, it will become sticky and damp and become a breeding ground for mold. If the space begins to radiate a musty smell, then crawl space repair is needed.
Contact Quality 1st today to learn more about mold and crawl space encapsulation.
Quality 1st Basement Systems is a certified basement waterproofing and foundation/crawl space repair expert that services northern and central New Jersey in addition to several areas in New York.
As a member of the internationally recognized Basement Systems, Inc. network of basement waterproofing experts, Quality 1st is a trustworthy and fully trained New Jersey crawl space contractor. For crawl space repair in Toms River, New Jersey contact Quality 1st today
Ground vapor barriers in vented crawl spaces: do they work?
Everything was done "by the book" in your crawl space.
The dirt floor was lined with a vapor barrier, overlapping 6 inches in the seams, the seams sealed with tape. The liner ran a few inches or half way up the walls and was fastened or glued it in place, following all the typical recommendations. You provided the code specified amount of vents, which were left open year round or during specific seasons, following the regional guidelines.
Yet now, after a few years, your house smells like a wet dog, your hardwood floors or plywood sub-floors are warping, your carpet is damp and you or someone in your family is always feeling miserable with allergy symptoms.
You suspect the crawl space and as you open the door to it you realize you need a mask, flash light, a bio-hazard suit, a good stomach and a dose of courage to enter the place.
Your crawl space is filthy, moldy, and full of bugs. The smell of decay ins unbearable. You can poke holes with a pen in your floor joists and the insulation, now turned into something resembling science fiction B movie monster, is falling off.
You wonder what went wrong. You and the thousands of other American homeowners who own houses with vented crawl spaces, that go through this same situation every single day.
What went wrong - and cases such as yours and the one in the picture prove - is that those crawl space venting recommendations are wrong. They make no sense from a scientific standpoint and if nothing is done to change them and educate the consumer, they will victimize more and more homeowners.
Moisture ruined crawl spaces are so common in the US, that they can be considered part of a true housing epidemic.
The only proven way to protect the crawlspace is through encapsulation and conditioning systems such as our CleanSpace System. Encapsulated crawl spaces are proven to significantly improve your home's health, indoor air quality and energy efficiency.
Contact us for a free estimate and see how easy and affordable it is to have a crawl space so dry and clean, you can safely use it for storage.
The Monster in the Crawl Space
In Savannah, GA, as well as in most areas of the country where summers are hot and humid and winters are cold and damp, homes with vented, dirt crawl spaces are a source of constant worry for homeowners.
There is the mold, rot and decay during the summer, and the cold drafts in the winter. There are huge energy losses year round. And there are also the pesky indoor allergy symptoms are usually triggered by allergens that lurk in the crawl space.
This presentation shows common crawl space problems and how our CleanSpace Crawl Space Encapsulation System can help solve them. Then contact us for a FREE Crawl Space Repair Estimate!
Personal Finances and Real Estate: 5 Good Reasons to Fix Your Foundation Before Selling Your House!
Submitted by AlphaFS on November 12, 2010 - 4:29pm AlphaFS's Blog
When faced with foundation problems, homeowners have mixed reactions. Some will panic and call a professional right away, others will simply ignore it or try to hide it with a quick and often ineffective fix.
Then, comes the time to sell the house and, if you are one of the ones who chose to ignore the problem or patch it up, you are faced with a hard choice. Sell the house "as-is" or fix it first?
Well, as someone who works for foundation repair companies, I had the opportunity to see many a real estate deal broken because of foundation problems. So I am offering you a piece of advice: fix first, then sell. Here are six very good reasons to consider it:
1 - Make no mistake: Foundation problems always get worse.
Foundation problems never go away, never get better on their own, and never remain the same: they always get worse. And the worse they get, the more expensive the fix will be.2 - Visible foundation cracks scare away buyers.
Who wants to buy someone else's problems? A visible crack, even if it is patched up, is most likely going to raise suspicion among buyers. The same goes for windows and doors that don't close properly, sagging or bouncy floors, or tilted chimneys.3 - Critters like cracks.
Keep in mind that insects and rodents can get into your home through foundation cracks, adding yet another layer of problems to the existing foundation issues.4 - You're going to lose more money not fixing it, than you would pay to fix it.
When it comes from foundation problems, you can't run nor hide. At some point during the sale process the house will be examined by a home inspector and he will most likely point out the foundation problem. What happens next is never to the seller's advantage. The buyer will either walk away from the deal or will expect a significant discount on the asking price: 10% or more off the property market value, in most cases.
Modern, state-of-the-art foundation repair technologies might be able to solve the problem quickly, effectively and for much less than you would lose by selling the house as a "fixer-upper".5 - You can be held liable for the problems after the property is sold.
By law, sellers in Florida are required to disclose anything that can affect the property's value, integrity, safety and appeal, by signing a Real Estate Disclosure form prior to the closing. Ignoring the foundation problem for failure to assess the nature of the damage will not save you from liability. In other words, "we knew we had a crack on the wall, but we didn't know how serious it was," is no defense.
80% of all Real Estate lawsuits are for failure to disclose, and foundation problems, along with mold issues, are among the most common topics in these lawsuits.So before your foundation problem comes back to haunt you, call a reputable foundation repair contractor, and have it inspected. Many good companies will provide the inspection and estimate for free!
Bouncy Floors No More Take the Flex Out of Old Floors
A floor that bows in the middle, flexes noticeably, or dips down in one or more areas could indicate a serious structural problem with the foundation and/or framing.
An unstable floor can have several causes. First of all, old-time carpenters may have used undersized floor joists because they were building before engineered span tables and building codes were available. A joist that spans a long distance without being supported in the middle is likely to sag or flex.
Floors can also sag or flex because a beam installed to provide mid-span support for joists has shifted out of position or rotted.
An experienced foundation repair contractor can diagnose bouncy floor problems and perform foundation repairs that make the floor framing stiffer and more secure. The SmartJack system, available from Foundation Support Works dealers, is an excellent solution to many bouncy or sagging floor problems. As shown in the photo and drawing, the SmartJack system has two main components: a precast concrete footing and a steel jack equipped with a threaded rod and a steel top plate that fits under a beam or girder.
Unlike an old-fashioned wood post-and-beam framework, the SmartJack system is adjustable, enabling the contractor to fine-tune the height of the support beam and thus, the floor itself. With a series of SmartJacks installed beneath a sound mid-span support beam, an unstable old floor can be made stronger, stiffer and straighter.
Contact Alpha Foundation Specialists today for Florida foundation repair!
Posted on: 2010/11/11 11:54:02am by: Tim Snyder
• Nov. 10, 2010 - Foundation Wall Cracks and Real Estate Transactions in MO and IL: Saving a home and a deal.
A crack in a home’s foundation walls is never something to be taken lightly or simply dismiss.
It is true that many times foundation wall cracks are caused by normal concrete shrinkage, rather than some real structural problems, but the differences between the two types aren’t always obvious, especially to the untrained eye.
Homeowners, when faced with such a problem, have mixed reactions. Some will panic and call a professional right away, some will simply dismiss the problem or patch it up using a DIY approach.
In Real Estate transactions, a foundation wall crack can be a deal breaker, and render a house almost impossible to sell. The last thing a potential buyer wants to see is a crack, of any shape, size, or kind in the basement wall, and tend to look even more suspiciously at walls that were visibly patched up.
Realtors have a hard time listing such properties, and home inspectors can’t vow for their structural integrity if they can’t properly access the nature of the problem due to some unskilled and unprofessional patching job, which many times, can be masking a serious issue.
As we all know, the law in most states, including Illinois and Missouri, demands that sellers of real property disclose any fact that may affect the value or integrity of the property, by completing and signing Real Estate Transfer Disclosure Statement.
Yet, real estate attorneys and sales professionals agree that between 70 and 80% of all the real estate lawsuits filed by home buyers are related to disclosure issues and facts that were not properly disclosed prior to the closing.
For a seller, disclosing a foundation wall crack could mean selling the property for at least 10% less than its market value, so it is understandable that they’d want it to magically disappear.
What they don’t know is that, many times, having the foundation properly fixed costs much less than what they would lose by selling a house with foundation issues. And definitely much less than they would pay to defend themselves in a lawsuit for failure to disclose the problem.
With that in mind, whether you are a seller, a Real Estate agent inspecting a listing, or a home buyer shopping for a house, it is always a good idea to know what you’re dealing with when you are faced with a foundation wall crack.
Shrinkage Cracks:
Shrinkage cracks happen quite often in poured concrete foundations. They are normally related to the conditions in which the concrete was mixed, poured and cured. Variations in temperature, air and ground moisture can cause the concrete to crack slightly as it dries.
Shrinkage cracks are always vertical, very thin, hairline cracks which are even from top to bottom. Poor drainage and high water tables can cause them to leak into the basement
If the crack is uneven, wider in one of the extremities, it can be a sign of external pressures. (foundation settlement, expanding soil, etc..).
These need to be accessed by a professional and fixed accordingly, as soon as the problem is noticed, because foundation problems only tend to get worse overtime.
Horizontal or Stair Step Cracks:
Horizontal cracks in any foundation and stair step cracks on any brick or concrete walls, even if above grade, are always a reason for concern. They are a clear sign of foundation movement, and the causes need to be detected and corrected as soon as possible.
Corner Cracks Around Windows and Doors
Whether they are around a basement window or on the drywall of any window upstairs, these types of cracks can also be sign of foundation movement and should be inspected by a professional.
Saving a deal
Keep in mind that most foundation wall cracks, even the ones that pose some structural concern, can be fixed and shouldn’t necessarily become a deal breaker. If you live in Missouri or Southern Illinois, Woods Basement Systems, a foundation repair contractor serving Saint Louis, MO, Springfield, IL and nearby areas, can help.
They have experience inspecting and estimating foundation repair jobs for Real Estate transactions.
They will perform a free inspection and, based on the written estimate, seller will be able to make informed choices, buyers will be able to negotiate down the price of the property:Real Estate agents will also be able to advice their clients on the best course of action and hopefully close a deal that would be, otherwise, broken from the start.
Radon Awareness Week Perfect Time to Test North Dakota Homes
Oct 15, 2010 – Fargo, ND –National Radon Awareness Week begins Sunday, October 17, and is the perfect time for homeowners in North Dakota and Minnesota to test for radon. Innovative Basement Systems provides testing for homeowners, as well as mitigation systems for those homes with high levels of radon.
Innovative Basement Systems President Keith Johnson says, “Fall and winter are the ideal times to test for radon in the home, since windows are typically closed and any radon in the home will not be diluted with fresh air from outdoors.”
Radon is a colorless, odorless, radioactive gas caused by the decay of uranium in the earth. As radon gas rises through the soil, it can seep into homes through cracks in the foundation, walls, crawl spaces, sump pumps and wells. The only way to know if your home has a high level of radon is to test for it. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) considers 4 picocuries per liter of air unacceptable.
Long term exposure to high levels of radon can lead to lung cancer. The National Cancer Institute says that radon is responsible for more than 20,000 cases of lung cancer in the U.S. each year, making it the number one cause of lung cancer among non-smokers and the second leading cause of lung cancer overall.
Testing for radon is best done in the fall or winter months, when the home is usually closed to outdoor air. Innovative Basement Systems has trained radon mitigation specialists available to help homeowners test for radon in their homes. If elevated radon levels are found in the home, radon mitigation experts in North Dakota can install an aesthetically-pleasing mitigation system.
Innovative is also a member of National Radon Defense, a network of radon mitigation experts across the nation.
For more information on radon and its health effects, radon testing and radon mitigation systems in North Dakota and Minnesota, contact:
Innovative Basement Systems
Keith Johnson
(877)365-0097
kjohnson@innovativebasementsystems.com
Radon Awareness Week Perfect Time to Test Nebraska Homes
Oct 15, 2010 – Omaha, NE –National Radon Awareness Week begins Sunday, October 17, and is the perfect time for homeowners in Nebraska and Iowa to test for radon. Thrasher Basement Systems provides testing for homeowners, as well as mitigation systems for those homes with high levels of radon.
Thrasher Basement System’s Curt Drew says, “Fall and winter are the ideal times to test for radon in the home, since windows are typically closed and any radon in the home will not be diluted with fresh air from outdoors.”
Radon is a colorless, odorless, radioactive gas caused by the decay of uranium in the earth. As radon gas rises through the soil, it can seep into homes through cracks in the foundation, walls, crawl spaces, sump pumps and wells. The only way to know if your home has a high level of radon is to test for it. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) considers 4 picocuries per liter of air unacceptable.
Long term exposure to high levels of radon can lead to lung cancer. The National Cancer Institute says that radon is responsible for more than 20,000 cases of lung cancer in the U.S. each year, making it the number one cause of lung cancer among non-smokers and the second leading cause of lung cancer overall.
Testing for radon is best done in the fall or winter months, when the home is usually closed to outdoor air. Thrasher Basement Systems has trained radon mitigation specialists available to help homeowners test for radon in their homes. If elevated radon levels are found in the home, radon mitigation experts in Nebraska can install an aesthetically-pleasing mitigation system.
Thrasher Basement Systems is a member of the National Radon Defense network of radon experts across the nation.
For more information on radon and its health effects, radon testing and radon mitigation systems in the Omaha metro area, contact:
Thrasher Basement Systems
Curt Drew
(402)916-4222
cdrew@nationalradondefense.com
Don't Let your Baltimore Basement Get Caught in the Rain! 5 Steps to a Dry Basement.
When it rains it pours in Baltimore! Are you loosing sleep with the recent heavy rains, afraid you might wake up to a flooded or wet basement?
Here's some handy tips from Mr. Basement, Baltimore's authority on basement and crawl space environments for a dry, worry free basement!
1- Correct drainageEnsure roof water disperses properly.Run discharge lines to storm sewer (code in many areas)No negative grades (aka the ground shouldn't slope towards your home!)
2 - Seal any openings that may allow water intrusionWindow wells should be sealed and free of debris like leaves, trash and sticksDoor 'trench' floor drains should flow freely
3 - Mind the sump pumpYour sump pump should have the correct pumping capacity for your home.It should be checked by our service department once per year - we service all brands of waterproofing pumps.The sump pit should have a secure cover to keep out kids, their toys and pets
4 - Install a dependable battery back-up for the sump pump.Keep in mind that ll brands are NOT equal.Our UltraSumps have a state of the art charging system + high pumping capacity
5 - Don't waste money on consumer grade dehumidifiersEnergy grade dehumidifiers are not the most cost-effectice choice for your basement.Their energy efficiency is sub-standard, and running one to dry a basement can become very expensive.Instead, consider the Basement Doctor's SaniDry professional grade dehumidifier and air filtration miracle machine.It removes 4 times more water than consumer grade dehumidifiers for a fraction of the cost.It filters your home's air and connects to your home's HVAC system.It's like a dehumidifier on steroids!
There is something about old houses that fascinates people. They have an almost inexplicable charm of their own, that we can’t help but fall in love with.
Ask anyone who ever bought a distressed old house to restore and they will try to explain their investment by pointing to the richness of architectural details, the sturdiness of the construction, its historical value. Some will happily tell you about how they were on a budget, and what a great deal it was buying such a gem so cheap. They will happily tell you that when they put some work to it, the property value will soar.
But the truth is that buying an old house is, for the most part, an emotional choice and, restoring it is a labor of love.
One of the main problems homeowners face when restoring old houses, are the chronically wet basements.
Since basements are buried in wet ground, with materials that are porous (concrete, bricks, stone), the soil around the foundation walls needs to be kept as dry as possible, year round, to prevent basement leaks, basement floods and wet basement problems.
If you are restoring an old house, there are several steps you need to take to accomplish that, including:
- Keep gutters clean and in good working conditions. Install them if you don’t have any or upgrade old, rusty ones.
- Extend downspouts to discharge as far from the house as possible
- Grade the terrain as to slope away from the house
- Improve foundation drainage.Modern houses are built with french drains, which are perforated pipes buried by the footing, to provide adequate drainage. Old houses, on the other hand, may not have such systems in place. Because builders didn’t know back then what we know now, many of these houses have improper foundation drainage, and some have no drainage system in place at all.
In addition, because conventional french drains tend to fail overtime, some houses have them but they are now clogged or collapsed.
Installing or replacing a conventional french drain in an old house can be a hassle. You will need to dig out foundations, disturb the landscape and, if the house has a deck or a porch, it will need to be completely removed so that the french drain can be buried by the footing. In an old house, that can be specially challenging: the great wood used to build it as well as priceless antique embellishments can be damaged in the process.
There are, however, modern alternatives to conventional french drains that can be installed with much less disruption and for a fraction of the cost: internal perimeter drainage systems.
For the past 20 years, internal drainage systems have been using with success to stop basement leaks. They are installed by jack hammering a few inches of the basement floor, close to the wall and installing a drain tile that will intercept the ground water and divert it to a sump pump.
Besides the easier installation, these systems can be fitted with service ports and will remain serviceable for the life of the structure, unlike conventional french drains. That is why good basement waterproofing companies offer Transferable Lifetime Warranties on their internal perimeter drainage systems.

After many years in denial, trying to go on with your life without thinking too much about it, one day you decide to finally do something about that wet, moldy, scary crawlspace under your house.
Maybe because you’re tired or hearing the buckled floors creaking under your feet, or you might have had enough of the drafts during the winter causing your heating bill to soar.
It might be because you can no longer living with chronic flu-like symptoms, triggered by the mold in the crawl space or because you swore that you would never again go through the process of crawling on filth to remove a wild critter (dead or alive) from under your house.
When you start to shop around for ways to deal with the problem, you are very likely to find two mainstream “solutions” being offered.
1 – Adding more vents to the crawl space
2 – “Improving” the air flow within the crawl space, by installing fans on the vents.
The “logic” behind this concept is that air is know to dry things therefore the more air you allow in, the more the chances that the crawl space will dry. It is only common sense, right?
Wrong!
Truth is that, if these fans are being used to bring air from the outside, into your crawl space, I have a serious piece of advice: Don't do it.
Crawl spaces are like no other structure in the house. Because of that, the air already coming from the outside, combined with evaporating ground moisture, is actually the reason why your crawl space is wet right now.
Puzzled? Allow me to explain.
Crawl Spaces are Different!
Crawl spaces have a pretty steady temperature year round (around 68 degrees) and, during summer, they are naturally cooler than the outside: usually 10 to 20 degrees. So, let's say we have a nice day outside, with 77 degrees and an average 80% relative humidity. Your crawl space temperature is 20 degrees cooler. When that air from outside comes in, it will cool down too.When that happens, the relative humidity in the air will increase about 2.2% for each degree the air is cooled.
That added to that 80% that was already in the outside air will result in 98.8% RH. Can you guess what happens then?
That moisture will cause condensation to form all over and your crawl space will get more wet, causing your floor joists to grow mold and rot.
The best, and U.S. Department of Energy recommended way to treat a crawl space is to encapsulate it. That means, line the whole space with a vapor barrier, seal it to keep ground moisture and outside air from getting in, then run a dehumidifier or a crawl space conditioner to keep it dry and conditioned year round.
This procedure. will solve crawl space moisture problems once and for all and protect your floor joists and hardwood from rot and buckling. It will also make your whole house an average of 18% more energy efficient, by cutting energy losses which can be as high as 50% if you have ducts running through the crawl space.
It will make your home easier to cool and heat, and will eliminating problems such as cold floors and clod drafts from the crawl space during winter.
There are tons of scientific studies on the matter, conducted by reputable independent organizations, to prove that, when it comes to crawl spaces, common sense is sometimes just a collective misconception.
If you live in Tennesee, there are two Basement Systems Certified crawl space moisture control professionals that can help you with your crawl space moisture problem:
Master Dry Basement and Crawl Space Systems provides crawl space encapsulation services in Knoxville and surrounding areas.
Basement Redeemers offers moldy crawl space solutions in the greater Memphis area.