A pervasive and persistent odor around your home can be very frustrating when you do not know where it comes from, especially if a deep clean and thorough airing of your home does not remove it. The nature of the smell in your basement or wider home can even help you to figure out what the most likely cause is (and the concentration of the smell can help you to pinpoint hotspots).

If the smell in your home is largely musty in nature, then it is most likely being caused by dampness and the formation of fungi like mold and wood rot. This smell is likely to get worse when you are in close proximity with large formations, and may also cause symptoms similar to those caused by hay fever and other mild allergies. You will recognize mold and fungal growths in your home primarily by discoloration and changes in the texture of affected organic materials like wood or textiles.

If the smell has a more vinegary edge, however, then it is most likely to be a form of pest infestation. Most specifically, vinegary smells are associated with cockroach infestations. If, however, the odor in your home smells of ammonia, then it is more likely to be the result of a rodent infestation in your home. If the cause of the unpleasant smell in your home is infestation, you are likely to see other signs. For example, you may see things like droppings, nest formations, and of course, the pests themselves.

JES has 3 different types of Pier Systems that all serve to support your foundation from below: the Helical Pier System, the Push Pier System, and the Slab Pier System. The Helical Pier System pushes against your foundation structure from below the ground, providing strong, long lasting support. The Push Pier System is optimal for homeowners that are unaware of the soil conditions below their foundation, however, it functions in more or less the same way that the Helical Pier System does. The Slab Pier System works doubly to repair your foundation and lift your concrete all at once.

For foundation wall repairs, there are 2 possible options to choose from: the Carbon Fiber Wall Reinforcing System and the IntelliBrace™ Wall Repair System. The Carbon Fiber Wall Reinforcing System utilizes a polymer-reinforced fiber that is 10 times stronger than steel, therefore, preventing bowed in foundation walls from becoming worse. There is also no external excavation needed to install the Carbon Fiber Wall, so installation is quick and clean. The IntelliBrace™ Wall Repair System is a more permanent solution and is able to both correct bowed walls and straighten them back into place over time. Although there is no external excavation necessary, installation does require that contractors attach steel I-beams to your wall.

For homeowners interested in repairing sunken foundation floors, the IntelliJack™ Floor Stabilization is the perfect solution! The IntelliJack™ support jacks are constructed from galvanized steel, a rust and corrosion resistant metal. This way, your foundation floors can be supported for a long period of time without worrying about future damage or problems. It is also capable of supporting total weights up to 24,000 pounds per support jack. Homeowners no longer have to worry about uneven or sunken foundation floors or walls ever again.

The encapsulation process ultimately helps keep any moisture out of your crawl space and home as a whole. However, if you do not have a vapor barrier strong enough to protect these spaces from moisture (if you have one at all), then you will find your home and even your family facing all sorts of issues.  

The most harmful damage a poorly encapsulated crawl space can cause is putting you and your family at risk of becoming ill. How exactly does an unattended crawl space contribute to health issues?  

Mold and Mildew Health Issues  

Sitting moisture can encourage all sorts of unhealthy fungi to grow within your home. Mold and mildew are both types of fungi that, while not necessarily toxic, can present plenty of health issues if left to fester in dark spaces. Both fungi will grow anywhere with plenty of moisture, including within your crawl space.  

This can be dangerous for several reasons. For one, they both spread very, very easily and can grow on almost any organic material. Should their spores get into your HVAC system or even your plumbing, you can expect to see mold or mildew growing in other parts of your home and infecting you that way.  

Mold and mildew can adversely affect even those that aren’t sensitive or allergic to it. The CDC states that the average healthy person will likely suffer from a stuffy nose, red or itchy eyes or skin, coughing, and wheezing. However, those with asthma or immunosuppression are likely to have their lungs infected with the mold or mildew itself, among other intense reactions.  

Health Hazards of Pest Infestations  

Pests are ridden with all sorts of diseases, and those attracted to flooded homes are no different. Cockroaches, mosquitos, and other similar insects tend to carry such diseases as Lyme disease, strep throat, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, salmonella, malaria, and much more. Even if the pests that invade your home do not happen to carry diseases, their shed skins alone can trigger allergic reactions in both sensitive and healthy people alike.  

Dealing with severe illness on top of an infestation and constantly flooded crawl space will only worsen your condition further. It is best to encapsulate your crawl space before your home reaches this point. When you encapsulate your crawl space you are reducing moisture in this space, which reduces pests’ interest in the space as well. 

Things can get complicated for a homeowner once they realize that there are multiple concrete lifting solutions. Polyurethane foam injections, mudjacking, and limestone grout leveling are some of the methods you might come across when wanting information about concrete settling repairs. 

Not all repair methods work in the same way and not all of them are beneficial. There is one method, however, that is better than all the rest in terms of longevity, efficiency, and overall performance. If you want a long-term solution that slows down future settling, choose polyurethane foam injections. 

• Polyurethane Foam Injections 

Part of the reason polyurethane foam injections work well for your driveway and sidewalk is that it doesn’t place pressure on the soil. Polyurethane foam is a light substance, so it doesn’t displace the soil with its weight. This is important for preventing future settling, especially in your driveway. Driveway slabs have to frequently support heavy loads as cars go in and out of the driveway. 

Another important characteristic unique to polyurethane foam injections is that it doesn’t wash away with time. Given how frequent flooding is in cities like Washington, D.C., and Richmond, Virginia, you definitely this material may be ideal for you. Other materials, like the cement slurry used in mudjacking, are short-lived for this reason. There are only so many times you can repair a settling slab, so a solution like polyurethane foam injections goes a long way in saving you money. 

• How PolyRenewal™ Is Installed  

PolyRenewal™ is a concrete lifting method that utilizes polyurethane foam. The installation is easy and a lot more straightforward than other concrete lifting methods, which are often messier and less reliable. First, concrete dpecialists drill holes the size of pennies into the slab. They inject the polyurethane foam until it fills the gap and lifts the slab. Then the holes are filled back up and covered, and your concrete is left looking like new. 

Installing PolyRenewal™ is something only JES experts can do. If you want a job well done, contact your local experts for professional repair solutions.