The high humidity and musty odors in your crawl space can be blamed on Baltimore City, Manassas, and Chester’s weather and soil conditions. Explore what else contributes to your crawl space problems and how best you can address them.
Explore Causes
Common Crawl Space Causes
Having a better understanding of what causes your crawl space problems is the first step to repairing them for good. Learn why your failing vapor barrier, groundwater, and humidity are causing the musty smells, mildew, and wood rot you wish to permanently solve.
Crawl Space Vents
Although it may seem like open vents in your crawl space are a good thing, allowing air to circulate, engineers and builders now know vents cause big problems. In addition to groundwater flowing in during periods of rain, humid, untreated outside air enters, causing a dark, damp environment…the perfect conditions for pests and rodents.
Stack Effect
Although it may sound complicated, the stack effect is easy to understand . The stack effect describes how air circulates through your home. Starting at the lowest level, in this case, the crawl space, air is sucked upward as it travels through your home until it escapes out the roof. Even the best-insulated roofs mean 50 percent of the air you breathe comes from your crawl space. If your crawl space is a breeding ground for mold and mildew, those spores will travel upstairs to you and your family.
Over Spanned Floor Joists
Do your floors feel bouncy or springy, or maybe they are sloping towards the middle of the room? The problem could be over-spanned floor joists. Although they could be caused by poor construction, wood rot is another possibility. Regardless, ensuring your floors are properly stabilized is essential to the health of your home.
Poor Vapor Barrier
It’s not uncommon when constructing your crawl space that the builder laid down a thin liner on the crawl space floor. But did you know this can cause more harm than good? This typically 5-mil liner is not an effective vapor barrier and often rips and tears with time. Since it’s not sealed to the walls or beams, mold and mildew are allowed to grow on this organic material, increasing poor air quality.
Stop Moisture Problems with Crawl Space Encapsulation from JES
Humid, hot conditions in Virginia, North Carolina, West Virginia, and Maryland, plus the area’s soil conditions, create a perfect environment for crawl space issues. Moisture, humidity, and mildew are all problems that need addressing as soon as they are recognized. The team at JES Foundation Repair has been working with local homeowners since 1993 and understands the nuances of the area and the weather. They have developed products and repairs methods to permanently solve problems. Contact them today to schedule a free, no-obligation inspection.
