Keeping Your Enemies Far, Far Away

It’s often said that you should keep your friends close and keep your enemies closer. It may be true unless we’re talking about your home’s crawl space. This is one case where you want to keep your enemies far, far away. 

The biggest enemies of crawl spaces are excessive moisture, poor cross ventilation and water intrusion. Let these problems get out of hand, and then you’re looking at mold, wood rot, and potential foundation and structural damage. In short, catastrophic problems no homeowner wants to experience.

Solutions

It is a good idea to check your crawl space moisture levels at least once per year. Annual termite inspections (another smart practice we recommend) often include this as part of their service. Industry standards state that ideal crawl space wood moisture content should be 10-16%. Solutions range from a vapor barrier to crawl space encapsulation. Crawl space encapsulation differs as it completely seals out water vapor, uses a thicker liner and covers the ground, walls and columns. It is the best solution if there are high moisture levels or water intrusion.

What’s Involved

In most cases, a crawl space encapsulation includes: 

  • Cleaning out all debris and insulation

  • Removing mold if needed

  • Putting down a heavy-duty moisture barrier of 20ml plastic sheeting

  • Sealing the home’s foundation vents

  • Re-insulating foundation walls

  • Adding a commercial-grade dehumidifier

This waterproofing system reduces humidity levels to an acceptable percentage, eliminates excessive humidity in your home, and allows your HVAC system to use less energy and work more efficiently. You will also notice a drop in your monthly energy bills and improved air quality and smell. Remember – 50 percent of the air you breathe inside your home comes from your crawl space.

Anticipated Cost

As you may have already surmised, it’s not an inexpensive process, but reliable and reputable companies should offer a lifetime warranty for crawl space encapsulation. Depending on the size of your crawl space and the extent of damage, you can expect to pay between $12,000- $20,000 to have the job done correctly.  

Expertise Required

Unfortunately, this project is not suitable for DIYers. Mold removal requires specific certifications, and there are staunch legal regulations regarding the disposal of mold-infested debris. A licensed electrician is needed to install the dehumidifier properly, and special training is required to install the vapor barrier.  

So don’t let your crawl space enemies invade your home. Keep them at bay by having your moisture levels checked and your crawl space professionally inspected. As always, we are here to help in any way you need.

Liz Rodgers