Most homeowners pay little attention to their crawl space, with many having never even so much as peeked into this dark space under their house. Unfortunately for these people, it is very unwise to ignore this space. Crawl spaces can often be sources for rodent or insect colonies and can be prone to trapping excess moisture. Either of these issues can lead to long-term problems with your home, including structural issues that can threaten the stability of your home. One of the most effective ways to deal with crawl space issues is to have it encapsulated. Mold and Water Guys offers thorough crawl space encapsulation to residents in Springfield, MO and the surrounding areas to help prevent moisture buildup and animal nesting.
What Is Crawl Space Encapsulation?
Crawl space encapsulation is the process of sealing the area off to protect it from moisture and animals. Many companies can also add additional insulation, which helps to make your home more energy efficient. This means that crawl space encapsulation benefits extend past a simple moisture barrier. It is a task best performed by professionals, as it can be both time consuming and difficult to do properly if you do not have the right training or proper tools and materials.
What Can Cause Crawl Space Moisture Problems?
Many crawl spaces possess an exposed earthen floor, which allows humidity to evaporate from the ground into the space under your house. This increases the humidity levels in both the air and sub-construction of your home – particularly if you do not have a vapor barrier. Improper grading and shortage of rain gutters may also contribute to crawl space humidity control problems by allowing undesirable rain or groundwater to go into the crawlspace. Inadequate crawl space ventilation compounds the issue by creating a mixture of cool and warm air inducing surface condensation, further increasing the amount of crawl space humidity under the home.
Benefits Of Crawl Space Encapsulation
As with many types of home-improvement tasks, crawl space encapsulation benefits for your home are many and important for your peace of mind. They include:
- Protection From Mold
When water is able to seep into your crawl space, you are at risk of having mold growth on the wood framing under your home. This can lead to both structural damage and health issues from inhaling mold spores.
- Improved Indoor Air Quality
Mold, mildew, and bacteria growth in your crawl space can make the air inside of your home unhealthy for you and your family to breathe. This is especially dangerous for people with asthma, COPD, emphysema, or other respiratory illnesses.
- Reduced Energy Costs
As a part of the encapsulation process, a company can add additional insulation to the underside of your home. This means that your crawlspace is better able to keep heating and cooling inside of your home, reducing your energy bills.
- Protection From Pests
The barrier that is used to encapsulate your crawl space doesn’t just keep out moisture; it also helps to keep out pests. This means better protection from rodents and insects without having to use toxic pesticides.
- Avoid Structural Damage
It’s no secret that water poses a danger to the structural integrity of your home. But even high humidity levels can cause damage to wood over time, and leave you having to make costly repairs. Encapsulation helps keep out water and humidity, saving your home from water-related structural damage.
How Do You Know You Need Crawl Space Encapsulation
If you aren’t sure if you want to make the investment for crawl space encapsulation benefits, here are some signs of moisture damage that you can look for in your crawl space:
- Visible mold or mildew growth in surfaces
- Rotting wood
- Sagging or wet insulation
- Termite damage
- Condensation present on pipes, ductwork, etc.
Crawl Space Encapsulation Cost
When weighing crawl space encapsulation benefits, you are certainly also considering the overall cost. For most homes, this improvement costs anywhere from $5,000 to $10,000 or more for very large homes. This includes the cost of insulation, the vapor barrier, and sealing.
Crawl Space Encapsulation Services in Springfield, MO
Are you having moisture issues in your crawl space? Don’t try to solve the problem on your own – trust the experts at Mold and Water Guys. We don’t just seal your crawl space and call it good, we also ensure that, if any moisture does get into your space, it has someplace to go thanks to proper drainage. With our years of experience and expertise, you can be assured that everything is done correctly, ensuring that both you and your family are safe from poor air quality and your home safe from structural issues. Contact us today to learn more about crawl space encapsulation benefits in Springfield today.
