Waterproofing Your Crawl Space: Why It Matters

As you may have heard before, waterproofing crawl space matters. Like it or not, you breathe in the air that’s in your crawl space.

To clarify, the air in your crawl space is circulated through your home via the Stack Effect. As the air warms, it rises up through your home. As the warm air exits your home through a chimney or attic, it creates suction which pulls up the cool air. More air is then sucked into your crawl space through open vents or cracks. In short, the cycle continues on and on.

If there’s mold or humidity in your crawl space, then it’s also pulled up with the air. In general, you breathe whatever is in your crawl space. Moreover, if you have any doubts about the current state of your crawl space, it’s best to have an inspection by experts.

In particular, water is the source of most crawl space problems. Also, mold, wood rot, mildew, and insects thrive in high humidity. Any humidity level over 50% is high enough for these problems to form. In fact, it doesn’t take much to boost the humidity in your crawl space – a short rain shower or a warm summer day can easily bring the humidity over 50% if it isn’t there already.

“Water is the main source of most crawl space problems. Additionally, issues like mold, mildew, wood rot, and pests thrive in high humidity.“

Crawl Space Waterproofing, Encapsulation, and Conditioning – What is it?

Specifically, crawl space encapsulation and sealing your crawl space are other names for waterproofing crawl space. Furthermore, this process can be vital to a clean and healthy crawl space. To waterproof your crawl space, you’ll need to:

• Separate your crawl space from outside elements

Seal all vents and doors, coupled with installing a 20 mil vapor barrier, like CrawlSeal, over the floor, and up the walls. In detail, the vapor barrier will prevent water from entering your crawl space through the floor or wall cracks.

• Remove the water

A sump pump will need to be installed to remove any water that enters your crawl space, preferably one with a battery back up system. In this case, your crawl space will stay dry even during a power outage.

• Condition the air in your crawl space

A dehumidifier is the last step in waterproofing crawl space. It will remove the moisture from the air, ensuring that it’s at the ideal humidity level.

Want To Learn More?

Want to learn more about crawl space waterproofing? If so, give us a call at 757-301-4820 to schedule an appointment with one of our crawl space encapsulation experts. You can also check out the below resources for more information about crawl space problems and solutions.

Additional Resources:

• Crawl Space Encapsulation vs. Pest Control
• How To Dry Out A Wet Crawlspace
• Crawl Space Moisture Control
• Crawl Space Ventilation

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