My wife and I just bought a 30 year old custom home. The foundation is concrete block and is quite deep (I can walk around through some parts hunched over). I have been told that current ventilation is inadequate and, since it is situated on a hill, drainage is a serious problem.
In some areas it seems that time and weather have allowed the grade at the foundation walls to accumulate so high that runoff from rain and irrigation has been pooring right into the foundation vents. In other areas we see evidence of exterior ponding against the foundation walls. The water pressure has pushed the water down the foundation wall and under the footing where it then resurfaces once again under the house.
Thankfully both the foundation and the framing are still in decent condition. I am currently working with a landscape contractor to re-grade and install french drains so the drainage problem will go away (hopefully completely).
Now, however, I have another problem: the ground under my foundation is quite wet and no doubt mold/mildew are thriving (we can smell it).
I have several questions:
1) What is the quickest way to dry this area out? (how long will this take?)
2) Should I use a fungicide to kill the existing spores?
3) How can I keep it dry (remember, it has poor ventilation.) Should I install 24x7 fans? Humidity activated fans? Not necessary?
Please help