Is A Crawl Space Encapsulation Worth It?
Crawl spaces are one the most neglected areas of the home, as most homeowners do not see it or enter it, it often becomes an “out of sight, out of mind” problem. However, crawl spaces are vital to maintaining your home’s health. You might be wondering if paying for an encapsulated crawl space, including a vapor barrier, a sump pump, a dehumidifier, and sealed vents, is actually worth it. Leaving your crawl space unencapsulated leaves it open to water damage like flooding, mold, and mildew, a decrease in air quality, and an invasion of dust mites and pests. Thankfully, Summit Waterproofing Solutions offers crawl space encapsulation in the Fairfax, Alexandria, Arlington, and Stafford areas.
What Goes Into Crawl Space Encapsulation?
There are four basic components of crawl space encapsulation: vent sealing, vapor barriers, dehumidifiers, and sump pumps. Most crawl spaces are built with large, unsealed vents to the outside due to antiquated building codes, and one of the most important parts of a crawl space encapsulation is sealing the vents up. Crawl spaces also typically have dirt floors that can easily let in groundwater and vapor from the ground into the space. Vapor barriers are a vapor-resistant material that is put on the dirt floor of a crawl space that prevent groundwater and vapor from getting in. Crawl spaces often have humid air that gets in through the vents or through the ground. Dehumidifiers are devices installed during a crawl space encapsulation that work to remove the humidity from the air. Crawl spaces are also prone to flooding and standing water. Sump pumps are installed during the encapsulation process to pump excess water away from the home. Without these installed, your crawl space will be left vulnerable to flooding, a decrease in air quality, growth of mold and mildew, and an invasion of pests and wildlife.
Mold and Mildew
Water and moisture in your crawl space can lead to the growth of mold and mildew inside your home. Mold is a fungus that spreads through spores, and when the mold spores land in water or places that are damp, humid, or with excessive moisture, it can begin growing. Mold needs a nutrient source to continue growing, and the cellulose in building materials like wood and insulation materials can provide these nutrients. Without a crawl space encapsulation, water vapor can come in from the ground, and humid air can enter through the crawl space vents, providing plenty of moisture for mold to start growing on surfaces inside your crawl space. Mildew is a type of mold, typically colored white/gray, that grows in flat patterns, not fuzzy like mold. Mold also needs darkness to thrive, so a crawl space that sees little light is very conducive to mold growth. When mold and mildew grow in your crawl space, it can adversely affect the air quality in your home.
Air Quality
An unencapsulated crawl space can lead to the growth of mold and mildew, which can have an adverse effect on the air quality of your home. Much of the air on the first floor of your home is recycled from the crawl space. Humid air can lead to the growth of mold, which can let mold spores into the air and adversely affect the health of your home’s inhabitants. For people sensitive to mold, it can cause allergy-like symptoms like a stuffy nose, wheezing, and red/itchy eyes and skin. Immuno-compromised people or individuals with asthma are at high risk of getting sick from mold inside a crawl space. Controlling the moisture and humidity levels in your crawl space with a full crawl space encapsulation can protect your home against mold from getting into the air and affecting the air quality.
Dust Mites and Pests
One of the biggest reasons to control the humidity in your home via a dehumidifier is to stop the spread of dust mites. Dust mites are microscopic pests that are the #1 indoor allergen that we face in our homes. Dust mites are too small for people to see, and people who are allergic to “dust” are actually allergic to inhaling dead dust mites and dust mite feces. Dust mites need humidity to survive, and actually can’t live in conditions below 50% humidity. Dust mites don’t drink water but instead absorb it from the air, so if there is little to no humidity in the air, then they will dry out and die. A dehumidifier can remove humidity from the air, reducing the dust mites in the air.
An unencapsulated crawl space can also lead to an invasion of pests. Rodents like rats and mice prefer dark, damp areas with standing water for them to drink. Insects like cockroaches and silverfish absorb moisture through their skin, so a wet crawl space will become a breeding ground for these pests. Termites need moisture to keep themselves from drying out, so a wet crawl space will provide them with a starting place to build their mud tubes up into the wood of your home. Vapor barriers can help guard against subterranean termites coming up through the soil.
Flooding
An unencapsulated crawl space is left vulnerable to flooding. Standing water can enter through the saturated dirt, and if you have open crawl space vents, water can pour in from rainfall and other precipitation. Flooding and standing water in your crawl space can lead to water damage like mold and mildew, and can even rise to other areas of your home. Sealing your crawl space vents and getting a vapor barrier installed can prevent this water from accumulating, but a sump pump installed as part of a crawl space encapsulation job is the best way to prevent flooding in your crawl space. Sump pumps can automatically detect standing water in your crawl space, and will pump it away from the home to empty out on the edge of your property.
Crawl Space Encapsulation in Northern Virginia
If your crawl space in Northern Virginia has a dirt floor, unsealed vents, and no sump pump, then crawl space encapsulation is definitely worth it. Crawl space encapsulations involve the sealing of crawl space vents, the installation of a vapor barrier, the installation of a dehumidifier, and the installation of a sump pump. A crawl space encapsulation can prevent the growth of mold and mildew, improve your home’s air quality, prevent flooding and the invasion of dust mites and other pests. A crawl space encapsulation is a great investment for any homeowner looking to protect his home from pests and water damage and to improve his home’s indoor air quality. If you need a crawl space encapsulation done in the Fairfax, Alexandria, Arlington, or Fredericksburg area, contact Summit Waterproofing Solutions today at 703-884-2124 or fill out a contact form!
