Crawl space help for Lexington, Kentucky homes

What does this service do for Lexington homeowners?

Lexington Crawl Space connects homeowners, landlords, buyers and sellers in Lexington-Fayette County with a crawl space contractor who can come out, get under the house and tell you what's going on. That might be an encapsulation, a new ground cover, a dehumidifier, insulation that has to be rehung or moved, or framing that has to be repaired. The call is free. The contractor quotes and does the work directly with you.

1. Tell us what you're seeing

   Call or fill out the short form with your town and the problem: a smell, wet insulation, a soft floor, a home inspection note.

2. We pass it along

   Your request goes to one independent crawl space contractor that covers your part of the Bluegrass.

3. They take it from there

   The contractor calls you, sets up a visit, inspects the space and gives you a written proposal.

Why do crawl spaces around Lexington get damp?

Two things work against a crawl space here: the summer air and the ground. Lexington sits at the northern edge of the humid subtropical climate zone, with hot, humid summers and close to 50 inches of precipitation in a typical year. A vented crawl space breathes that air in through the foundation vents. When the muggy air meets cooler soil, ductwork and floor framing, it gives up its water as condensation. The U.S. Department of Energy's Building America program has pointed out that in humid climates the outside air is often wetter than the crawl space air, so the vents can add moisture instead of removing it.

The ground adds its own share. Much of Fayette County is underlain by limestone, and the soils that formed on it hold water. The Maury series, whose official type location is just north of Lexington, is a deep silty soil over clayey limestone residuum. Bare dirt under a house gives off moisture all year, which is why a sealed ground cover matters so much in an older Lexington home.

What does limestone and karst have to do with my crawl space?

The Kentucky Geological Survey calls the Inner Bluegrass, the region around Lexington, the second-largest karst area in the state, and it lists Lexington among the cities partly or entirely underlain by karst. Karst means the limestone below has been dissolved over time into cracks, voids and sinkholes. Around a house, that can show up as a low spot in the yard that holds water, or a downspout that drains toward a depression next to the foundation. Water that collects there tends to find its way into the crawl space. A contractor will often start with gutters, downspout extensions and grading before sealing anything, and will tell you when a settling area needs a closer look from an engineer.

Signs your crawl space needs a look

• A musty, earthy odor in the house, strongest in July and August
• Floor insulation hanging down or lying on the dirt
• Drops of water on ducts, the furnace plenum or cold water lines
• Plastic over the ground that's torn, bunched up or missing
• Floors that feel cold in winter or spongy in one spot
• White fuzzy growth or dark staining on joists and subfloor
• Puddles or wet soil under the house after a hard rain
• A home inspection report that mentions moisture, rot or a missing vapor barrier

What kind of work do crawl space contractors do here?

Most calls in the Lexington area turn into one or more of these jobs:

• Encapsulation. Sealing the vents and gaps, lining the ground and walls, and adding a way to control the air. How encapsulation works.
• Vapor barrier replacement. Swapping thin or torn plastic for a heavier ground cover with overlapped, taped seams. About ground covers.
• Dehumidifiers. A dedicated unit sized for the space, with a drain line so nobody has to empty it. Crawl space dehumidifiers.
• Insulation. Rehanging or replacing floor batts, or insulating the foundation walls of a sealed crawl space. Crawl space insulation.
• Framing repair. Sistering or replacing rotted joists and sills, and adding posts or beams under a sagging floor. Floor joist and sill repair.

Is radon part of the conversation?

It can be. Radon is a radioactive gas that comes up out of the ground, and the University of Kentucky's BREATHE program says it's a problem in many parts of Kentucky, including Fayette County. A 2018 Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services release put elevated radon in more than 55 percent of Fayette County. The EPA action level is 4 picocuries per liter. A crawl space liner can be part of a radon system, but the only way to know your level is to test. If you're planning an encapsulation anyway, testing first lets the contractor plan around the result.

What code applies to crawl space work in Kentucky?

Kentucky's residential code, set by regulation 815 KAR 7:125, adopts the 2018 Kentucky Residential Code, which is based on the 2015 International Residential Code. The crawl space rules in that model code cover both vented crawl spaces and sealed, unvented ones. A sealed crawl space needs a continuous vapor retarder over the ground with lapped, sealed seams carried up the foundation wall, plus an approved way to condition or exhaust the air. Inside Lexington-Fayette County, the Division of Building Inspection enforces the state code, and contractors have to register with the city before they can pull a permit.

Buying or selling a Bluegrass home with a crawl space?

Inspection reports in older Lexington neighborhoods regularly flag the crawl space: missing ground cover, sagging insulation, a damp smell, or old water staining on a sill. If you're on a deadline, say so when you call. The contractor can look at the report, get under the house and give you a written scope you can use in the negotiation.

Are you the company that does the work?

No. Lexington Crawl Space is a referral service. We pass your call or request to an independent crawl space contractor serving your address, and that company inspects, prices, performs and warranties the job. Before you sign anything, read how the referral works and what to ask a contractor, and skim the Lexington crawl space guide for the local code, soil and radon background.

Towns we take calls from

• Lexington
• Nicholasville
• Georgetown
• Versailles