Moving Right Along

I cannot believe that this is taking me so long, it seems interminable, but I am still, still in the basement of the Vortex. Just when I think I see the light at the end of the tunnel, the mold smell once again rears it's ugly head and I must take remedial action. Or is it the boxelder bugs which came in from the cold when the door was open and their habitat, the ugly juniper trees were cut down?

Nevertheless, the stink must stop!

I have been running a propane heater down there, trying to dry out the crawlspace. The humidity is currently running about 60-70%, which is better than the 85% that I started with. Still, it is too wet. I need to get it down to about 40% I think.

Today I put down a vapor barrier. Heavy duty black plastic, 6 ml in thickness. I have a dehumidifier which pulls water from the air at about the rate of 5 gallons every couple of days. That seems like an awfully large amount of moisture to me! Maybe the vapor barrier will help. I also found some dry rot in one corner of the house, the foundation joists. Or would it be the sill plate? Crap. I have been in this basement for MONTHS, and I want to be out! I also took a brush, and brushed all the loose "stuff" off the cement walls in the crawl space. I don't know what that stuff is, but I thought it would be a good idea before I put down the vapor barrier. And just WHAT is that sparkly stuff that grows on the concrete and on some of the dirt? Mold, or phosporus? It doesn't smell, because I had the audacity to actually sniff it.....

I just want this done, I want to get on with my life, I want to free myself up to ....... consider the possibilities, the opportunities, to pursue the adventures......