I have been looking into having a crawl space treated with Neutrocrete, a product that is sprayed on ( it comes out like shaving cream) and hardens to a cement like product. The purpose is to prevent mold and moisture in the space. The product is very expensive.
I have read some articles stating that the product absorbed water over time and contributed to mold problems in a crawl space.
Is anyone familiar with this product? Thumbs up or thumbs down?
Replies
I bought a house with Neutocrete in the basement and crawlspace under the kitchen addition. I'm in eastern Massachusetts and I think the Neutocrete contractor was from NH, maybe Portsmouth. I've owned the house for about 3.5 years and the Neutocrete was installed about 6 months before I purchased.
4 years later - so far so good but the jury is still out.
It did take a looong time for the stuff to cure fully and I felt it was releasing considerable moisture into the basement in the meantime. I'd say it was a good 12 months after I bought before it seemed fully cured. There was no heat in the basement for the first winter. It was only after a summer with a ventilation fan running 24/7 and a winter with a little heat in the basement that it finally hardened up.
Until cured, it was noticeably soft - you could actually dig a fingernail into it pretty easily. Now it's not as hard as concrete but much harder than it was then. I do see hairline cracks in the floor but they seem harmless. It's sticking to the rubble-rock walls just fine.
I do have a musty odor and find it necessary to ventilate the basement well but I don't blame the neutocrete for that (yet). The house is 200 years old and due to some deferred maintenance issues and bad water management outside, there are some rotted sills that might account for all of that. That'll get fixed this year and if I can't find any other source to account for the musty odors and dampness I might start to suspect the neutocrete.
Hi BobI,
It's been a while since your post about Neutocrete. I was wondering if you have any updates on it. Is your basement/crawlspace still waterproof? Any sign of mold or moisture or musty smell, etc.? Any other comments on Neutocrete?
Also, I read that Neutocrete may potentially contain asbestos. Any evidence of that?
Thank you!
Dan
Neutocrete possible curing issue
Hello Dan.
We had our crawlspace Neutocreted in 2005. We're in Soutwestern CT (Fairfield County). House is a split, built in 1957, adjacent to wetland. Crawlspace was dirt with about 4.5 ft of clearance to the floor joists, and is 28 ft by 18 ft. Very high water-table here, so there are a pair of sump pumps in the crawlspace and another in our laundry room.
The crawlspace was gruesome prior to Neutocrete, and post-Neutocrete it is cleaner and there's no longer a 'dirt-floor' smell coming up through our livingroom floor. We can also store things in the space now. That's the good. The bad is that the Neutocrete never properly 'cured'. For the first 6 months or so, a film of dust emerged on the surface as the product hardened. I was told this was normal. Over the years the 'dust' production never leveled off, and the amount of surface dust on the floor of the crawlspace continues to increase. I've recently had to spend alot of time down there (insulating pipes, replacing sump pump, other work), and the amount of this surface dust alarmed me so much that this morning I called Neutocrete and told them about the issue. They are sending an inspector to have a look on Tuesday 11/1.
I'm sure you've read about the product. It is considerably softer than concrete. While smooth, it also 'undulates' meaning the installers smoothed it, but it has a 'surface of the moon' effect, meaning it follows the topography of the floor. In retrospect, if I had known it was as soft as it is, and the fact that it is not level, I probably would have chosen another solution. Not saying I'm dissatisfied, just mad at myself for not having researched all my options more thoroughly.
The dust is a big deal to me, however, particularly since; a) I think there are health issues at stake, and b) I believe it is the result of an install gone wrong. Let's see how Neutocrete handles this. If you're interested, let me know and I'll post what happens.
MF
Please do post back
on your experience with the supplier. It's always interesting to hear how these suppliers handle customer service. Might help someone down the road that digs this up out of the archives.
Dirt crawl space: Neutocrete vs. other options?
Hi, MF -
I was very interested to see your comments about Neutocrete. I live in the vicinity and, per the description of your house, our house faces similar issues, but we have yet to decide on a solution to the problems that come with a dirt crawl space. Neutocrete is one of several products on the market which we're considering. If you have any other news to report on your experience with Neutocrete -- or if any other readers have found another solution which has proven to be effective and long-lasting, I'd welcome your guidance.
CTdude