If You Have Ever Wondered...

[Gunnar Alquist]

If you have ever wondered what 70 years of dryer lint discharge under a home looks like, here's your chance.

[Jack Feldmann]

That must have been fun cleaning off the coveralls,

[Jerry Peck]

Didn't need knee pads in that crawlspace, did you?

How thick was the 'cotton ball' crawlspace floor lining?

How long were you hacking trying to breathe after you got out of there?

[Gunnar Alquist]

That must have been fun cleaning off the coveralls,

Jack,
This access was extremely tight. About 9.5 inches high. I had to exhale and push with my feet off of a post to get out and broke my zipper as I pushed-through. It was a bummer because the coverall was not terribly old. Oh well. I bought new ones.

The entire crawlspace looked pretty much like the first pic, except for the amount covering the soil. The far side had much less on the soil (as expected) and the near side had lots (also as expected). I carry a 10" screwdriver, which allowed me to pull-down a lot of the cobwebs that were in my way in order to crawl through (and see stuff).


Didn't need knee pads in that crawlspace, did you?
How thick was the 'cotton ball' crawlspace floor lining?
How long were you hacking trying to breathe after you got out of there?

Jerry,
Near the dryer it was at least 2" thick on the soil. Farther away it was primarily just stuck in the cobwebs. That cluster in the last pic was probably 7" diameter.

I wear a half-mask respirator with P-100 filters and a "bump hat", so it wasn't too bad. I wore the mask until I had removed the coverall, but I did inhale a bit that floated off of me. Fortunately, I exited outside rather than in the home.

[Jack Feldmann]

I used to use a janitor broom in crawlspaces. They are only about 3' long, and have a small broom. They worked great for spider webs and to move things around with the stick end.
I really do not miss that part of inspecting. I was recently on a training inspection and it was the inspectors first tight crawlspace. It was muddy, standing water, heavy spider webs and to top it off, a nasty moldy spot under the laundry room where we almost stepped thru the floor. I had to really talk him thru that one.
I think he now has second thoughts about an inspection career. This was maybe his 10th inspection, and second crawlspace, so it was a real eye opener for him. However, it was about as bad as it gets.

[Gunnar Alquist]

Jack,

I have never heard of a "janitor broom". I tried to find one online, but all that turned up was push brooms and dust mops. I typically don't mind the crawlspaces. Given my atrocious diet, I expect that I would weigh 300 lbs if I didn't get the crawlspace exercise. It is getting a bit tougher now that I am getting more arthritic. The winters really slow me down.

When we get a new person in one of our association meetings that says they are interested in becoming an inspector, I will generally offer to have them follow me on one. I have taken at least a dozen people on "ride-alongs" and only one actually became an inspector. Once they hit that crawlspace (I would guess 95% crawls here) I never see them again.

[Jim Robinson]

I have a lot of crawl spaces here as well. I think it was literally my first inspection, which was for my wife's friend, and it had 40 years or so of lint from the dryer under the floor. I've run into it a few more times, and I still don't enjoy it.

[Jack Feldmann]

Gunnar,
I just Googled it, and came up with what they call a Lobby Broom. Its a small, short broom. ON Amazon they also showed a whisk broom they called for camping that is about the same size.

[Gunnar Alquist]

Jack,

Ohhhhh... Like the ones they use at Disneyland.

Funny thing, I googled "disneyland broom" and got hits that are "lobby brooms".

[Chris Weekly]

Hello Gunnar, yes the crawls are becoming more and more of an issue - knees for me (even with pads). But thankfully I do get that workout;)

Concerning that crawlspace...think how much of a workout the spiders must have to keep rebuilding when their webs become lint clogged.

[Gunnar Alquist]

Chris,

I have heard the Krawler is good for us older folks, but I rather doubt that it would be useful under most of the homes that I inspect. I don't see getting any real use out of it. I am just taking my time (and getting home later).

[Chris Weekly]

Gunnar, Yes I have a krawler. I got mine sometime back after I saw a post from you on another general discussion. It came in very handy on 2 inspections. I keep it with me at the ready in case there is a long crawl, although roof Most of the time it stays in my truck. Obstacles underneath the house can be problematic for it such as plumbing pipes, ducts, interior foundation walls, roots, storage, etc. Any obstacle at all it seems to become quite a burden - get off, or dismount from the thing (not real easy to do under house), hoist the thing over the obstacle (again not easy to do in tight confines), try not to get the wheels tangled in cables or electrical wiring (try not to stir up too much dust), re-mount, saddle up, get back underway (make sure your flashlight or camera didn't get away from you during the ordeal). Bottom line though I'm glad I have. It's a great little tool? Wish it had a drivetrain and power steering.

[Gunnar Alquist]

Chris,

I realize that you are not a CREIA member, but we do still have quarterly educational meetings, some of which are pretty darned good. Right now, they are virtual and there is no cost. When we get back to in-person, we will go back to meeting at the McInnis Golf Club restaurant in San Rafael.

Let me know if you are interested and I will add you to our email list.