Crawl Space Encapsulation

How Do I Know if I Have a Crawl Space Moisture Problem?

Common signs of crawl space moisture issues include: wood rot sagging or wet insulation, termite damage under your home or hardwood floors, “cupping,” visible mold growth in the crawl space, or condensation on ductwork.

What Causes Crawl Space Moisture Issues?

Many crawl spaces have an exposed earthen floor, which allows ground moisture to evaporate into the space under your home, increasing the crawl space moisture levels in both the air and sub-structure of your home – especially if you don't have a vapor barrier.

Improper grading and lack of rain gutters can also contribute to crawl space moisture control issues by allowing unwanted rain or groundwater to enter the crawlspace.

Poor crawl space ventilation compounds the problem by creating a mix of warm and cool air causing surface condensation, further increasing the amount of crawl space moisture under the home. This repeated wetting of building materials day after day provides the perfect environment for mold growth, termites and structural damage under your home.

Solutions to Crawl Space Moisture Issues Include:

• Proper grading around the home directing moisture away from the structure.
• Installing, repairing or cleaning gutters and downspouts.
• Adding downspout extensions and exit lines to move water further from the home.
• Interior or exterior waterproofing.
• Installing vapor barriers or encapsulation systems to isolate the crawl space from the earth.
• Installing crawl space ventilation- crawl space dehumidifiers and/or crawl space ventilation fans.

Do I Need a Dehumidifier, Crawl Space Ventilation Fans, or Both?

Crawl space ventilation systems condition or exchange the air in the crawl space to regulate moisture content. These systems may work off of crawl space ventilation fans, crawl space dehumidifier systems or a combination of both.

• Crawl space ventilation fans exchange the air in the crawl space with fresh air from outside of the home when the conditions are favorable.
• Crawl space dehumidifier systems may be necessary in excessively damp crawl spaces, to remove excess moisture from the air.
• Vapor barriers or encapsulation systems isolate the crawlspace from the earth, keeping ground moisture out of the crawl space allowing crawl space ventilation and dehumidifiers for crawl spaces to operate more efficiently.

Crawl space dehumidifier systems, crawl space ventilation fans and vapor barriers work to dry and circulate air through the crawl space, creating an environment that does not contribute to mold growth and eliminates crawl space moisture issues.

Crawl Space Ventilation Issues?

AdvantaClean experts can diagnose your crawl space moisture issues and crawl space mold issues by properly identifying, recommending and implementing corrective actions. Our crawl space ventilation and mold specialists can perform professional mold remediation in conjunction with addressing the moisture source-- from simple repairs to comprehensive vapor barriers, crawl space ventilation systems and crawl space dehumidifier installations.