Crawl Space Repair: What NOT To Do
Avoiding The Most Common Crawl Space Repair Mistakes
We recommend installing a vapor barrier on the walls and floors, sealing off all vents, installing airtight doors, and adding a crawl space dehumidifier.
If your crawl space has sources of standing water, these must be addressed before any encapsulation system is installed.
More about Crawl Space Waterproofing
With more than three hundred contractors across Canada and the United States, the Basement Systems International Network visits well over a thousand crawl spaces every day.
Needless to say, we've seen the good, the bad, and the ugly of this important part of the home!
Common Crawl Space Problems
Crawl spaces are well-known for being dank, musty, unpleasant spaces. They're often strongholds for mold and rot, safe havens for pests, and producers of musty, unsavory odors of all types.
Additionally, and perhaps more alarmingly, crawl spaces are also notorious for being the the source of various structural issues -- whether due to sinking supports or a rotting structure.
What Causes Crawl Space Issues?
The vast majority of crawl space issues are caused by the improper management of moisture and humidity within the space.
Most commonly, these moisture issues are due to a combination of a poorly designed moisture control system, and the application of poor building science.
At Basement Systems, our dealers have provided warrantied installations of hundreds of thousands of crawl space systems worldwide. We have the materials, training, and experience you need to permanently solve your problem.
It costs you nothing to meet our experts for a free dry crawl space estimate! We'll provide an on-site crawl space inspection and consultation, and we'll work with you to create a customized system that is ideal for your home. Contact us by phone or e-mail today, to connect with your local Basement Systems Dealer!
Six Crawl Space Issues To Avoid
While the problems with a rotting crawl space are many, the causes are few. Most of the issues we see with crawl spaces have a few, simple sources that can easily be remedied.
Do you want your crawl space to remain dry, healthy, energy efficient space? Our experts advise you to bear these six Crawl Space "DON'Ts in mind:
Don't Ignore The Problem
If an issue with a crawl space is addressed early on, a solution can be applied before the damage increases. When mold and rot are allowed to continue to damage a crawl space in the long-term, the structural wood in your crawl space (the girders and floor joists) will begin to weaken. This results in "springy", uneven floors upstairs, cracks in drywall, and jamming doors.
Crawl space mold will also lead to musty odors in the home, as well as the addition of allergenic mold spores. How much will a carpenter charge to crawl into a moldy, rotting, narrow crawl space to rip out and replace the damaged timbers?
Don't Ventilate The Crawl Space
Crawl space vents are the product of obsolete practices that are quickly being written out of building code worldwide.
The original thinking behind these vents was that they would keep a cross-current of outside air moving throughout the space, drying the space in the same way that ventilation keeps an attic dry.
However, the cool, underground environment in a crawl space will lower the temperature of the humid summer air that flows into the space. This cooling process leads to condensation throughout your crawl space, which provides life-giving moisture to mold, rot, and pests.
Don't Count On A Dehumidifier Alone
Imagine a warm house on a cold winter day. Open a window, and the entire house will feel the cold rushing in almost immediately. Even if the furnace kicks in to return the heat to normal, it's going to be a never-ending, losing battle for that furnace until the window is closed again.
In the same way that it makes no sense to heat a home with the windows open, a dehumidifier can't dry out a crawl space with open vents!
We've seen countless utility bills run sky high by installing a dehumidifier in a vented crawl space -- where it works around the clock, drying an endless supply of outside air. Seal that crawl space first!
Don't Seal The Floor & Not The Walls
While a great deal of humidity will enter a crawl space through the floors, your crawl space walls are also a very significant source of crawl space moisture.
Most crawl space walls are made with concrete blocks -- which are hollow at the core. During wet conditions, these blocks can easily fill with water.
Because concrete is a porous material, this water will continually make its way through the concrete (and also through the vents), where it then enters your crawl space environment.
Once the relative humidity reaches 60%, the conditions will be ideal for mold and rot to grow.
Don't Insulate With Fiberglass
Many homeowners will try to address issues with cold floors and high energy bills by installing fiberglass insulation in their crawl space. The insulation is usually placed between floor joists, and is also wrapped around air ducts, pipes, water heaters, and HVAC components.
Fiberglass is a porous, absorbent material that soak up moisture like a sponge. Wet fiberglass loses most of its insular value, and holds moisture up against structural wood. Eventually, the weighed-down insulation will fall to the floor in heaps.
Fiberglass insulation is also attractive to rodents, who use this warm, soft product as nesting material.
Don't Let Wood Supports Touch Dirt
Sometimes, we see a home supported by wooden pillars that are in direct contact with the dirt floor. These wood pillars tend to soak up moisture from the earth, grow mold, and experience more damage from rot.
Have you ever taken a close look at a push pin? Putting pressure the pincushion. Without it, the metal tip could press into your finger as you pressed on it.
Similarly, most crawl space supports have a broad concrete base that blunts the support post along the bottom.
That base disperses the weight being through the support into the ground. Supports with no base apply more pressure to the ground per square inch, and can be driven into the ground (aka "sink") much more easily.
We Create Drier, Healthier, More Energy Efficient Crawl Spaces!
At Basement Systems, we're leading the industry with our line of award-winning, warrantied products, our innovative solutions, and our world-class customer service. To date, we've dried hundreds of thousands of basements and crawl spaces across Canada and the United States.
To schedule a free, no-obligation dry crawl space estimate with your local dealer, contact us by phone or e-mail today! Your specialist will stop by to take measurements, identify the problem, and create a customized cost estimate that meets every goal you have for your crawl space.
As an added courtesy, we'll also mail a copy of our informative crawl space book -- Crawl Space Science -- before our visit. This book is packed with everything you need to know about our products, including detailed photos and illustrations, and additional information about our products and services.
We're standing by to help you! Contact us by phone or e-mail today!
Looking for a price? Get a no cost, no obligation free estimate.