What's Happening in Your Crawl Space This Summer?

Many homeowners don’t realize that their crawl space should be treated the same as a basement: completely sealed from the outside environment. If a basement is wet, humid and musty, that air affects the entire home, and the same is true for crawl spaces.

If your home’s crawl space is unencapsulated, this summer you might notice:

-        Higher than healthy humidity levels in your home

-        Musty smells

-        Warm floors

-        Higher than necessary cooling costs

These four things are symptoms of a problematic crawl space! What actually might be happening down there may be much worse:

-        Water damage or penetration

-        Condensing ductwork or plumbing contributing to high humidity

-        Rotting wood due to high humidity

-        Failing insulation due to the damp environment

-        Mould and mildew growth

-        Bug or critter infestation

If unsealed crawl spaces are such a problem, why were homes built that way? Are homes still built with unencapsulated crawl spaces? 

A crawl space is the area below a home’s living space; just as a basement is – the only difference is the ceiling height is lower in a crawl space. Builders would never build a home with a dirt floor basement, or a have a basement with open vents, so why is it different for crawl spaces?

Two reasons: The building codes differ between a basement and a crawl space. One has to consider that many of these codes came into effect after the World War II era, and open crawl spaces were the standard. You know what wasn’t standard? Air conditioning and superior insulating materials!  And although science has proven crawl spaces should be sealed, another reason home builders currently do not encapsulate crawl spaces is because it’s much cheaper not to.  

Even informed people who are building a home might instead opt for luxurious bathroom upgrades rather than a sealed crawl space. This is a case of “pay a little now or pay a lot later”, as the damage caused by open crawl spaces can be significant.

If you would like a complimentary inspection and estimate to learn how you can have a healthy and efficient crawl space, please reach out to us: 1-866-277-1277