Why Enclosing Your Crawlspace Matters

Why Enclosing Your Crawlspace Matters

During the winter, the last thing you want to deal with is a cold home. With temperatures dropping as we approach the winter season, it’s important that your heating systems are ready and your home is prepared to weather the cold. If not, you could be dealing with cold air and high energy bills. Crawlspace enclosure this winter provides a solution to both problems that many homeowners face.

There are several benefits to enclosing your crawlspace. One that many look forward to is saving on their energy bill.  The moisture in your crawlspace can affect the temperature inside the home, causing the HVAC unit or furnace to run longer to help keep your home warm, in return using more electricity. When you enclose your crawlspace, the moisture barrier acts as a sealant, which controls the moisture levels. This will ease the strain of your HVAC system to make your home more energy-efficient and save on energy bills.

Another great benefit of enclosing your crawlspace is preventing mold and odor. If left open, high moisture levels can cause mold and mildew growth, creating considerable damage to your home, posing a health risk to your family, and potentially causing an odor throughout your home. When your crawlspace is enclosed, the moisture barrier helps to reduce moisture, preventing mold and mildew from forming.

Crawlspace Enclosure

An unsealed crawlspace is an open invitation to pests and wildlife looking for shelter, food, and water. Once inside, these pests and nuisance wildlife can cause damage and present a health risk to your home and family. Once installed, the moisture barrier can help eliminate entry points for these pests to infest.

Consider calling your local pest control company for a crawlspace enclosure inspection and quote to stay warm and pest-free this winter!

Holiday Home Savings!

Holiday Home Savings!

It’s nearly impossible not to spend money during the holiday season. While we want to enjoy this time of gift-giving with our loved ones, it can sometimes burn a hole in our wallets! Even though the holidays are upon us, you can still find ways to cut back on costs and even create a healthier environment for your home! 

Attic Insulation 

Attic insulation can help save on energy costs and ensure you are living in a healthy environment. Some say that attic insulation is essential in cutting down on air and heat that escapes from your home. Reducing the amount of energy escaping can help lower your energy bills, potentially saving you up to 30%! 

Besides the financial impact of attic insulation, it can also help prevent overwintering pests. Pests like rats, mice, and roaches are looking for a warm place to stay over the colder months. They can easily damage your home and bring in harmful diseases. Attic insulation can help reduce and control the number of pests making their way inside your home.

Crawlspace Enclosure (CrawlSpace Care)

Crawlspace enclosure provides many benefits to homes that have them. Enclosing your crawlspace can help lessen the workload of your HVAC unit. This can help save you up to 18% on your utility bill and control humidity levels throughout your home.

While saving money on your utility bill is always a plus, making sure your family is living in a healthy environment is just as important! When you enclose (whether it’s the attic or the crawlspace), you will reap the benefits of improved air quality, consistent temperatures, and pest prevention including wood-eating insects.

Investing in insulation in your home will not only help you during the holiday season but year-round. For more information or to get a free quote, contact your local pest control company where a professional can recommend the best plan for your home.

Crawlspace Enclosure: The Cure For Cold Feet

Crawlspace Enclosure: The Cure For Cold Feet

Dealing with cold winter weather outside is bad enough; when the cold temperatures start creeping into your home it’s even worse. Heating systems work hard enough in the winter time to keep our homes warm and comfortable. Additional cold air seeping into your house leaves us with cold feet and higher energy bills.

Up to 50% of household air flows in from your crawlspace. An unenclosed crawlspace lets your heated or cooled air out and lets outdoor air in. This causes your heating and cooling systems to work overtime to compensate for this fluctuation in temperatures, causing you to still feel cold floors and inconsistent temps throughout the house. These units burn more energy leading to increased utility bills. This also puts more strain on the system leading to repairs and replacements sooner and more often.

Crawlspace enclosure is similar to adding a liner to your pool to avoid leaks. Water vapor enters your crawlspace from the ground and can even seep through cement. Increased moisture can cause a host of problems in your crawlspace and your home. Moisture attracts pests; degrades indoor air quality; provides the ideal condition for mold and mildew growth which leads to rot, warped floors, and structural damage. Adding a moisture barrier and dehumidifier is a great way to help keep the moisture out of your crawlspace.

Some common reasons people enclose their crawlspace include:

  • Presence of mold
  • Presence of mildew
  • Musty smell
  • Soft or separating floors
  • Increased heating and cooling costs
  • Wet insulation
  • Condensation on windows
  • Pest problems

Benefits

  1. Improved air quality in the home
  2. Keeps pests and wood destroying insects out
  3. Creates more comfortable living conditions
  4. Eliminates moisture which decreases fungus and mold and prevents structural damage
  5. Increases energy efficiency
  6. More consistent temperatures
  7. Less wear and tear on heating and cooling systems

Disadvantages

There are two main disadvantages to crawlspace enclosure. The first is the initial cost of installation. While there is a somewhat pricey initial fee for installation, the savings in energy bills and pest control costs over the long term offset these costs. The second disadvantage is improper installation. Whether doing it yourself or using a professional, improper installation or faulty materials do occur. The most common signs of improper installation include:

  • Odors. When the liner is not properly taped or inadequate materials are used, moisture can get into the crawlspace leading to mold and mildew.
  • Moisture. This can also be caused by improper taping. Common signs of moisture in the crawlspace after installation include damp or musty odors, constant running of the dehumidifier, and flooding.

Inspection

Once you have your crawlspace enclosed, it is important to continually inspect it to make sure tears or other damage have occurred. It is recommended that the crawlspace be inspected at least once per year but preferably twice per year. Many homeowners time their crawlspace enclosure inspection to coincide with their annual termite inspection. It is important to check the crawlspace for moisture levels (there should be no humidity, condensation, or standing water); signs of mold or rot (including loose joists, damage to support beams and air ducts, or visible mold present); and signs of rodents or pest activity (including droppings and chew marks).

While crawlspace enclosure can be a DIY project, it is recommended that installation be done by a professional. This not only helps ensure quality materials and appropriate techniques are used but also guarantees repairs and replacement in the event there are issues. Contact your local pest control company for a crawlspace enclosure quote.

 

You May Also Be Interested In:

Have a Pest-Free Holiday!

Is That A Rat or A Mouse and Why It Matters

Crawly Winter Insects

5 Reasons To Install Gutter Guards

Unusual Winter Wildlife

The Essentials of Crawlspace Moisture Barriers

The Essentials of Crawlspace Moisture Barriers

There are over 27 million homes in the United States with crawlspaces. These crawlspaces are typically used for storage and easy access to plumbing but can also harbor water and mold. They are dirty, damp places that provide an ideal environment for mold, mildew, pests, and rust. Keeping your crawlspace dry is essential to improving the overall health of your home. Here are the essentials to crawlspace moisture barriers.

What is a crawlspace?

A crawlspace is a variation of a basement where you can crawl around. The surface of a crawlspace is often just bare earth. They are traditionally built for homes without a basement or for homes that aren’t built on a slab. The primary purpose of crawlspaces was to promote air circulation throughout the home and to allow easy access to plumbing, electrical, and other home maintenance needs. The crawlspace can also be used for extra storage.

Where does crawlspace moisture come from?

Crawlspace moisture usually comes from one of three sources:

  • Bulk water. Water can accumulate from plumbing leaks or blocked drains. The longer this water remains stagnant, the worse the moisture problem can get.
  • Outdoor air coming through vents. The vents around a crawlspace provide the perfect access for vapor from the outside air to come in, thus increasing your humidity levels.
  • Moisture from the ground. Uncovered soil releases moisture into the air, thus releasing it into the crawlspace.

What are the benefits of crawlspace moisture control?

Controlling the moisture levels in your crawlspace provides you with several benefits, helping to improve both your health and the health of your home. The benefits include:

  • Avoiding negative health effects from mold and mildew
  • Increasing your home’s resale value
  • Decreasing the risk of mold, mildew, wood rot, and floor failure
  • Decreasing your heating and cooling bills
  • Preventing insects and dust mites
  • Eliminating odors
  • Improving indoor air quality

What should crawlspace moisture levels be?

Crawlspace moisture should be kept at an appropriate level to help prevent adverse effects on your home and your health. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recommends keeping the relative humidity in your home between 30% and 50%.

What is a vapor barrier?

A crawlspace vapor barrier is a set of polyethylene sheets that are placed on the uncovered soil of your crawlspace to prevent moisture from seeping through. This helps improve the relative humidity levels in the crawlspace. Vapor barriers, also known as moisture barriers, are often used in conjunction with dehumidifiers and/or crawlspace encapsulation.

Do you still have questions about crawlspace moisture barriers? Do you have an issue with moisture in your crawlspace? Contact a professional who can come out and inspect your crawlspace, identify potential areas of concern, and recommend the best treatment plan for your situation.

Keeping Cool for the Summer

Keeping Cool for the Summer

Not only does a Southern summer bring swarming pests, but it also brings the unbearable humidity. When it gets too hot, many of us head back inside and simply turn down the thermostat to a comfortable degree. Though some might find that turning the cool air up isn’t actually working, and the summer heat isn’t budging.

When the sun is beating down on your home, your attic will easily see high temperatures. The heat absorbs through the hard materials that make up your home and is likely to transfer downstairs into your living area, creating an uncomfortable living environment. An easy solution that could help is making sure you have enough insulation in your attic.

Attic insulation will create air pockets that slow the heat that is attempting to flow through your home. This will help uneven temperatures between the rooms in your house. Installing insulation can additionally help your HVAC system run more efficiently, helping lessen the need to turn down the thermostat and reduce the cost of your energy bills.

You will also find that your home can trap in the humidity and moisture. These two factors can welcome mold, fungi, and pests into your living environment. Termites, for example, prosper in areas of high moisture which in return can put your house at risk for structural damage.

A solution to ensure your home is not met with these issues is investing in crawlspace enclosure. With closing your crawlspace, you can equally save money on energy bills, but also improve the air quality in your home, creating a more comfortable living environment.

With these heat factors in mind, consider investing in both attic insulation and crawlspace encapsulation. In the long run, it could prevent future headaches! Request a Free Estimate Now

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