Crawl Space Encapsulation Near Me: Essential Considerations
Keeping your home’s crawl space area protected is a vital part of maintaining your property the right way. According to recent data from Architectural Digest, approximately 15% of homes in the United States have a crawl space foundation.
If you’re looking for a crawl space encapsulation near me, there are some important things to keep in mind.
Read on for some important things you should look for when choosing the best crawl space encapsulation services for your Virginia or North Carolina home.
Using the Proper Materials
As you look for the best crawl space encapsulation near me, make sure the company uses the correct materials. Utilizing spray foam insulation as an encapsulation measure can be detrimental to your foundation.
This material not only traps moisture, but it can also promote mold and mildew growth and may even make any necessary repairs in the future more costly. Spray foam is also extremely difficult to remove while also creating an airtight seal that prevents proper ventilation in your crawl space.
The best materials for a thorough crawl space insulation and encapsulation should include specialty vapor barriers, dehumidifiers, and insulation boards. When in doubt, it’s best to contact several crawl space encapsulation service companies to determine what they use. This will ensure that you’re getting the best, most effective foundation protection possible for your home.
Heavy-duty plastic like polyethylene is designed to keep both ground and exterior moisture out of your crawl space. Make sure your encapsulation provider utilizes this type of moisture barrier if you want the best level of protection for your home.
Crawl Space Encapsulation Near Me: Remember Ventilation
It’s crucial to always prevent humidity and moisture from building up in your crawl space. A quality crawl space encapsulation company will ensure that you’re getting the best level of ventilation possible.
Without proper ventilation, moisture can easily start to build, causing serious problems later down the road. Dehumidifiers can help to keep the air drier, while special fans in the dehumidifiers are utilized to ensure proper airflow. These fans also keep the air circulating, greatly reducing the level of moisture in the air.
It is virtually impossible to prevent humidity in your home when the actual humidity in the air is high. However, a combination of good dehumidifier ventilation and moisture barriers will lower the humidity in your crawl space and keep it protected from moisture damage.
Air Sealing and Insulating Your Crawl Space
The air sealing process helps with insulating your home and with overall energy efficiency. This process can be done around the perimeter of your home’s foundation, the vents, the ductwork, the sub-floor, and the door as well as the rim joists.
Other areas in a crawl space may also leak air to the outside or into your home. While you usually can’t completely air seal a crawl space, controlling where things are ventilated will have a significant impact on your home’s indoor air quality.
So, what about crawl space insulation? Unless there is mold or moisture problem present, the insulation in the subfloor can remain. Adding even more insulation to the foundation will improve the level of insulation for your crawl space and your home as a whole by a significant amount. The downside to fiberglass subfloor insulation is that it can attract rodents, so we will remove the floor insulation in most cases.
If you’re getting crawl space encapsulation, we recommend that you also get crawl space insulation. While this won’t protect your home from excess moisture or humidity completely, it will improve your home’s energy efficiency. You will notice that your home feels cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter, all while seeing lower energy costs each month since your HVAC system won’t need to work as hard.
How the Crawl Space Encapsulation Process Works
It’s important to understand how the process of crawl space encapsulation works. The process begins with a full inspection to look for any draining, grading, mold, or foundation issues. If no issues are found, the process can begin but if problems arise, they’ll need to be corrected first.
After the inspection, all vents and any other openings to outdoor areas will be sealed with vapor barriers. If an old moisture barrier is in place, it will be removed and replaced with a heavy duty moisture barrier. A dehumidifier will also be installed to remove any excess humidity and moisture from the crawl space.
Once the crawl space is dry, the new moisture barrier will be sealed with waterproofing tape around piers, walls, and other seams. Extra insulation will also typically be added around the rim joists to ensure good energy efficiency.
What About Crawl Space Repair?
Without the right foundation protection, your crawl space can be vulnerable to a wide range of issues. Signs that your home may need crawl space repair include the presence of mold or mildew, sloping or uneven floors, and the presence of musty smells and unpleasant, stale odors in the home.
Other signs that you might need professional crawl space repair include if you notice cracks in the drywall or if your doors are suddenly sticking or are difficult to keep closed. Cold floors or visible signs of damage on your floors may also indicate that a crawl space repair is required.
Your home’s crawl space is a crucial part of the structure. It provides a gap of between one to three feet from the foundation to the ground. The result is an empty gap or space known as a crawl space, providing access to plumbing, electrical, and HVAC systems.
If there’s an issue with your crawl space, it can have significant impacts on the rest of your home. Whether it’s improper insulation, moisture that causes mold and mildew, or structural problems, taking good care of your crawl space is essential.
Protect Your Crawl Space with Encapsulation
From the right materials to ventilation and insulation, remember these factors to help you find a qualified crawl space encapsulation near me. A quality encapsulation service provider will ensure that your home is getting the best foundation protection possible.
If you live in the Norfolk, VA area or any of the surrounding areas and want to schedule an inspection or have any questions, contact the team at BAY Crawl Space & Foundation Repair today!