Moisture

Moisture ruins houses by providing a hospitable environment for mold, fungi, and insects that destroy wood framing.  Moisture transfer solutions include sealing all air leaks from vents, windows, doors, duct work and eliminating any puddles of water.  The problem with a dirt or vented concrete crawlspace is that as warm air rises in your home, it brings up with it the air that was previously in your crawl space, including moisture and mold spores, as well as anything else that may be airborne down there.  Sealing the crawl space from the earth and outside air is the solution to moisture and dampness in the home.  Properly sealing the crawlspace and removing the moisture from the ground and air is part of the solution that helps provide a mold-free, radon-free, and insect-free environment, which leads to a more more energy-efficient and healthier home.  The moisture generated in the crawlspace will lead to structural damage and higher energy costs.  To avoid moisture’s negative affects, a crawlspace should be completely sealed and isolated from the ground and the humid outside air.  An important part of a crawl space moisture control strategy is the installation of a vapor barrier.

Crawlspace

As we have learned from previous blogs, homes that feature crawl spaces often suffer from moisture damage related to the crawlspace environment.  Click Here Do you have standing water in your crawlspace.  Click Here Is the insulation in your crawlspace falling down or wet and moldy.  Click Here Is there so much junk in your crawlspace that you can’t even get inside.  Click Here Is your crawlspace humid and is your plumbing sweating.  Click Here Are you concerned about Mold and Fungus in your crawlspace.  Click Here Did your heating and cooling system in your crawlspace rust out prematurely.  The polyethylene sheeting should be layed over the crawlspace soil with a minimum of joints.  Over time contractors and inspectors realized the vents that were installed to remove humidity in fact helped to increase the humidity level in most crawlspaces.

Humidity

Seal your crawl space, lower relative humidity levels, eliminate odors, lower energy costs, and gain storage space.  Lower energy bills, resulting from reduced crawlspace humidity, translate into comfort and savings year after year.  Crawlspace Moisture Control SystemsEnd Dampness and Humidity Problems Healthy Environments provides two main product systems to seal your crawlspace and protect your family’s health.  In most geographic areas, fresh outside air is not dry and tends to worsen the humidity problems when it enters the home.  Mold spores, odors, humidity, and critters create a very unhealthy environment for people.

Encapsulation

-  The CleanSpace Crawl Space Encapsulation System includes products that prevent crawl space moisture by encapsulating the crawl space with a vapor barrier, closing the crawl space vents, and conditioning the space — to make a healthier crawl space and home.  The real issue in crawl space encapsulation is its power to make your home free from any moisture problems.  After installation of the encapsulation system, along with the dehumidifier, the humidity levels dropped from 80% to 45% within a 2-week period.

There are crawl space encapsulation products such as crawl space vapor barrier liner to get your crawl spaces free of insects and other organisms.  To avoid moisture’s negative effects, install a crawl space vapor barrier to isolate your home from the ground and the humid outside air, and then condition or dehumidify the crawl space air.