There’s a lot of reasons why you need to consider keeping up your crawlspace even if nobody sees it. The majority of your home’s air gets in via your crawlspace. If you have a moldy, dirty, or moist crawlspace, it could result in reduced air quality in your property. Apart from that, making sure that your crawlspace is maintained can’t just make your air be always healthy, but treating it well can also save you over time in terms of electrical bills. To achieve that, here are some tips you should do to maintain your crawlspace:
Remove debris
As people repair or construct their houses, they sometimes tend to keep unused material in their crawlspaces without knowing its possible effect. Sadly, such debris can possibly entice pests, causing you to have a hard time using your crawlspace. Hence, you need to clear your crawlspace as much as possible. You can actually do so using many techniques to maintain it in its tip-top shape. However, minimizing moisture in your crawlspace can help enhance your home’s air quality. You can also consider expert contractors who can help you treat your crawlspace to save you the hassle and time.
Set up a vapor barrier
You can help remove moisture and prevent it from occurring by installing a vapor barrier. They need to be sealed well and utilized in combination with dehumidifying methods. If you don’t know how to properly do this, do not hesitate to hire a contractor to help you install a vapor barrier and keep up your crawlspace.
Keep pests out
You have to ensure that mice and insects won’t reach into your crawlspace since they can cause several damages. Such pests tend to chew wood, wires, and even on insulation. Thankfully, you can somehow keep them at bay by minimizing moisture. However, you need to seal up gaps and cracks—small or big—that you can find in the walls that can possibly provide access to pests.
Insulate your crawlspace
Insulating your crawlspace can assist to regulate your home temperature as it helps keep it warm in the winter and cool in the summer. Insulation comes in various types that greatly function in various situations. If you want to maintain your crawlspace, insulation is a vital part.
Control moisture
Though moisture looks like it is harmless, it can actually do a lot of damage to your home structure. Moisture can result in mold development that can eventually make indoor air less healthy, cause allergies, and damage your home. Thus, controlling the moisture of your crawlspace is the first thing you can do to protect your environment.
Also, you have to guarantee that your gutters lead water farther form your home and that your sidewalks are elevated for water to run away from your crawlspace. Take some time to research about curtain drains as well. Such solutions can guarantee that your crawlspace will be dry.
If you’ve made the choice to encapsulate your crawlspace, then you’ve made the right decision. You will certainly not regret it. The air that you and your family breathes will greatly improve, you’ll have an area that you can use for storage, and your utility bills will be lowered.
However, work will still be needed. You’ve got to hire the crawl space encapsulation company you will use for the project. There are a lot of companies that offer this service. Though having a lot of options is a great thing, you should know that not every company is the same.
The estimate you acquire from the company should be extremely detailed. It needs to include what’s being done, the materials to use, and the timeframe for completion, and the warranty specifications of both the product and installation used. Also, you will want to ensure that the company you hire is insured, bonded, and licensed.
Professional Demeanor
Hiring a crawlspace company is just like hiring any other company. You will need to get several estimates from them. You might be able to eliminate several companies right away since those companies won’t bother to come to your home. They simply ask for the square feet of your house and email you an estimate. If you encounter this type of company, you’ve got to steer clear. If they send a representative to examine your house, you’ve got to compare how much time they spend inspecting the crawlspace. You should also check if they explain the process thoroughly. Make sure they listen to your questions. Keep in mind that you’ve got to invest a lot of money for encapsulating the crawlspace. Thus, any contractor that does not spend the time to go through these steps should be ignored.
Examine Reviews
Though it should go without saying, you’ve got to examine the reviews of any company you are considering to hire. Also, you shouldn’t simply check out their reviews on Google. You’ve got to check a couple of platforms. This means that you also have to visit their Yelp page, Facebook page, and much more. If you do this, you’ll have a clearer picture of what their quality of product and customer service is like.
Specializes in the Service
When looking for potential companies, you’ll find some of them that offer crawlspace encapsulation as part of their services. This means that they also offer other services. This can include asbestos removal, earthquake retrofitting, concrete leveling, or foundation repair. However, you’ve got to ensure that the company specializes in crawlspace encapsulation. The reason for this is that they’ve probably worked on a lot of crawlspaces when compared to those companies that provide several services. This means they have dealt with and seen all kinds of problems that can come up during the process. To make things simple, a company that specializes in crawlspace encapsulation will offer an excellent job.
Almost every homeowner tries to pretend that their crawl space does not exist. Oftentimes, it is a dirty, dank, and dark area of your home that is easier to simply forget about. Well, that should not be the case. Though it is typically the most ignored area of our house, it is also one of the most vital parts. The crawlspace’s condition can literally make or break your home. There are a lot of things that can go wrong if they are infested with pests, water, and other contaminants.
Your crawlspace will become a safe area to store things once it’s encapsulated. Old-school crawl spaces sometimes have sand or soil as the ground. Thus, it is an unfitting environment to keep anything that you want to protect. Remediating your crawlspace is an ideal solution if you are in need of some additional space. This will help keep your items dry and safe.
Keep Out Pests
The process of encapsulation also helps in getting rid of pests. The barrier keeps away a couple of insects from making their way into your house. This includes offering a protection layer from termites. There are even pest-specific barriers that can help prevent pests as well as mold, moisture, and much more.
Make Your House More Comfortable
You can help maintain the temperature of your house if you seal the crawlspace. Thus, it will become a lot more comfortable. Cold air will not escape in the summer through the crawlspace. Thus, it will be easier for your home to stay cool. On the other hand, your house will stay warm in the winter since the heat will not leak out through cracks under your home.
Lower Energy Bills
Encapsulation can trap the cold and hot air that’s sometimes lost through the crawlspace. Thus, sealing it up offers you lower energy consumption. The less overtime your HVAC unit has to put in with less air escaping. This is another reason why encapsulating your crawlspace is an excellent investment.
Prevent Structural Damage
Water damage in your crawlspace affects your whole house. The vapor can rot the floorings and the wooden frames that make up your home’s structure. Aside from keeping out water, this process also keeps pests such as termites out. Crawlspace encapsulation might appear expensive. However, you are saving yourself money in the future since you can avoid a lot of expensive repairs and replacement.
Boost Air Quality
Bacteria, mildew, and mold are sometimes found in crawlspaces. This affects the air in your house. The contaminants found in the air can be hazardous. This is particularly true if you’ve got a family member who has respiratory issues. If you’ve got a dry crawlspace, you can prevent this from happening and can enhance the air quality of your house. It will protect you from mold-related diseases and eases the effects of respiratory issues, such as allergies and asthma.
For those who don’t know, around 50% of the air you breathe in your house can flow up from the crawl space. Thus, it is crucial to keep your crawlspace as dry and clean as possible. Even if you’ve got vented crawl spaces, it can still retain moisture and put your house at risk of decreased energy efficiency, pest infestation, wood rot, and mold. Moisture can cause a range of unwanted issues. Thus, it is crucial to keep out excess moisture.
Nowadays, every homeowner encapsulates their crawlspace to keep out moisture. Here are several reasons why you should also hire a crawlspace encapsulation Savannah GA company.
What’s Crawl Space Encapsulation?
For those who don’t know, the process of adding a heavy-duty polyethylene barrier to cover the crawlspace is called crawlspace encapsulation. It includes the ceiling, walls, and floors. You can compare an encapsulation barrier with a swimming pool lining. When it totally covers the crawlspace of your house, the barrier will work wonders.
Benefits of Crawlspace Encapsulation
Boosts the Comfort of Your Floors
The temperature of the tile and hardwood floors of your house will be more comfortable to walk on. This is particularly true during the winter season. In addition to that, encapsulation keeps your house from feeling humid and wet during the hot summer season.
Improves Energy Efficiency
Your HVAC unit will operate with less energy if it does not have to fight damp air produced by a moist crawl space. This lowers your utility bills every month. Keep in mind that crawl space encapsulation pays for itself over time because it offers excellent energy efficiency for your house.
Prevents Structural Damage
It is crucial to stop moisture from collecting in the crawlspace for the long-term stability of the foundation of your house. You’re also preventing it from leaking through to the dirt that surrounds the foundation of your house if you prevent dampness from accumulating in your crawlspace. Gutters direct away water from the foundation of your house. However, a moist crawlspace under your house can cause problems. Crawlspace encapsulation helps stop moisture accumulation and makes your foundation more stable in the future.
Stops Mildew and Mold Problems
Unwanted moisture problems are prevented if moisture is removed from under the house. In addition to that, no wet and musty smells will enter your house from your heating and air conditioning unit.
Improves Healthy Living Conditions
Nobody likes to get sick from spending time in their own house. Encapsulating the crawlspace in your house makes your house a healthier place to breathe and live in.
Gets Rid of Insect Infestation
Insects require moisture to live. This includes termites. Crawlspace encapsulations get rid of the possibility of creating conditions that attract pests. By just tackling the needs of your crawlspace, you can prevent the threat of significant damage, insect infestation, and the hassle pests cause.
When it comes to crawlspace encapsulation, do not hesitate to hire professionals. This type of job is not an easy thing to do. It requires a lot of tools and knowledge to properly do it.
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