In an effort to confuse homeowners, a certain self described “ninja” has been proclaiming misinformation about problems that can occur within a poorly managed and maintained crawl space. One such claim says that a cat pee smell coming from the crawl space of your home is due to the breakdown of reinforced liners that then allow the polyester fibers to become wet and cause them to off gas. There is no supporting evidence of this being true. This appears simply as an effort to sway influence in their favor to persuade consumers to choose the Ninja company for their crawl space services.
The odor actually originates from the decomposition of organic material in the soil under the home. This can be compounded by elevated moisture levels in the soil that occur post encapsulation. Once the space is encapsulated, the evaporation of moisture from the soil is greatly reduced. This can result in an increase in moisture which can then reactivate dormant microorganisms. These begin breaking down organic material at an accelerated rate. An explanation for why the space may not have smelled prior to the encapsulation can come from this occurrence.
The ammonia released in this process is what creates the cat pee smell. This is because cat pee contains ammonia, the substance creates the significant smell we associate with cat pee. When organic matter breaks down in the soil, the microorganisms decompose the organic matter back into more basic components. As a result of this process, ammonia is released in high pH soils and less toxic Ammonium in lower pH soils.
To prevent the cat pee smell from forming in an encapsulated crawl space, there are three things that can be done. First, if you suspect this may be an issue, ensure your encapsulation is done with a product designed to seal out soil gases. Second, you can reverse the stack effect on your home by installing an EZ Breath system in your crawlspace. Third, you can test the pH balance of the soil and balance it prior to encapsulation. Ideally, you want the pH as close to 7 on the pH scale as possible. The first two tips are also effective methods for controlling other soil gases. Barrier Waterproofing Systems follows these same steps during the encapsulation process while utilizing strong, specifically designed products for the most efficient outcome.
This cat pee smell does not come from polyester string or any other product we use in the crawlspace. The level of ammonia in the soil can permeate polyethylene and make the plastic smell as bad as the crawl space itself, which can cause the false assumption that the smell is coming from the product itself.
Are you experiencing this smell emanating from the crawl space of your home? Give Barrier Waterproofing Systems a call at (615) 257-1060 today and schedule an evaluation of your crawl space, today!
