It’s up to you but we recommend getting a minimum of two crawl space inspections & estimates! You could save THOUSANDS! But be aware, getting estimates can be confusing. A novice crawl space inspector or an ineffective explanation can leave you confused or unsure of the right thing to do. Old methods of crawl space thinking can be outdated and simply wrong. Let the science, testimonials, and proven results do the talking. That’s why it’s important to DO YOUR HOMEWORK!
Heavy rains, hurricanes, and floods have an adequate capacity to seriously destroy a crawl space or structure. The wood under your home being exposed and saturated in water for extended periods can have extreme long-term effects.
Mold in homes could be airborne and growing in moist and dark places like your crawl space. Crawl spaces are extremely vulnerable to mold and mildew due to elevated humidity levels and overall crawl space moisture.
Signs of foundation cracks in your home can be very unnerving. The fear of what prolonged damage has been done as well as what costs will be involved with correcting any foundation problems can make way for stress and budget concerns to arise. Maybe your home has uneven floors, or you experience sticking windows and doors… or other warning signs relevant to foundation repair like noticing water puddles developing near the foundation, cracked walls or ceiling cracks.
French drains are an outstanding method of managing ground water and even rain water in some instances. The keys to a successful french drain are proper system design and installation. There’s a right way to design a drainage plan and theres a wrong way, just like there’s a right way to install it and a wrong way.
If your HVAC is in the crawl space then most likely, the answer is yes! When warm humid air comes in contact with a cool surface, moisture forms as condensation droplets. These droplets continue all throughout the summer forming continuous puddles under many homes.
It’s the middle of Summer 2015 here in Chesapeake, VA and the weather is beautiful! We’ve got sunshine, great beach weather, and summer storms. But of course, as the storms are stirring up, the water isn’t always kind to home owners!
Here we are in the middle of summer. It’s a hundred degrees outside and the humidity is almost unbearable… so what is going on under your house in the crawl space?
As the hot humid air enters through the foundation vents into the cool crawl space, the relative humidity is rising and rising. Think about the hot air on a cool glass of iced tea or the mirrors in your bathroom after a hot steamy shower. Condensation begins to form on just about everything.
Crawl space moisture typically comes from a three different sources:
1. The Earth. The Earth constantly releases moisture into the air which results in a higher relative humidity. This is why, at a minimum, you should have a 6-mil or 12-mil poly vapor barrier covering 100% of the ground. This can prevent the need for remedial measures in the future.
Uneven floors sticking doors, and wall cracks occur because of foundation movement and/or crawl space framing movement. Movement occurs because the amount of weight that the foundation and framing are holding is more than the amount of weight that the structure can hold in that area. This is known as the load bearing capacity.
1. Quality of Products
The quality of products used varies widely. For the sake of brevity, you should understand the differences between different products to make the best decision on system design and the best crawl space company for your home.
As discussed previously, an encapsulation system has many benefits… Here are the top 10 benefits you can expect when your crawl space is encapsulated:
1. Encapsulation leads to consistently desirable moisture levels! The dehumidifier dries the crawl space.
Crawl space encapsulation is a “remedial” treatment for the common crawl space symptoms of high wood moisture content, mold and fungal growth, high relative humidity, poor energy efficiency, and cold floors in the winter. It is the only tested and proven, long-term solution to remedy these problems and prevent future problems. Anything else is a bandaid approach.
Every home can benefit from a professionally installed encapsulation system but the million dollar question is… “Is the benefit worth the investment?”
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