Learn How Your Home is Suffering From a Dirt Crawl Space

You know that you have a crawl space hiding in the shadows under your home, but that doesn’t mean you would ever go down there. I don’t blame you. I’m sure it is dark, dirty and home to various creatures. The problem with most crawl spaces is that they are actually wreaking more havoc on your home then you might think. 

Although they may have not known it at the time, many crawl spaces were not constructed correctly. There are two main harmful problems that may be costing you and your family that we want to point out.

Having a dirt crawl space is one of those problems. You might wonder how a dirt crawl space could cause you any trouble. It's under your home so what problems could possibly arise. The main problem is moisture. The exposed earth creates a lot of moisture, which eventually evaporates into the air. Without an efficient way to remove that water vapor it will continue to occupy the space. This creates a happy home for mold and mildew to grow. Due to the “Stack Effect”, air from the crawl space will eventually travel up into your home. That means any water vapor, mold spores, and musty smells will be present within your home.

Aside from moisture in the ground and air, it can be relatively easy for other sources of water to enter your crawl space. Water can easily leak through your walls and into the space. The water will further dampen the area and continue to evaporate into your home.

Many crawl spaces were made with vents, which we now know is a big issue. It's not your fault, but it is important for you to resolve the issue. The problem with vents is that they not only let in wet air but they can also let water in too. When warm air comes into your cool crawl space the humidity level increases. That damp air collects on cold surfaces and they become saturated with water, which can lead to mold, mildew and rot.

Vented crawl spaces also cause huge spikes in your energy bills. Many crawl spaces have ducts in them that carry the air you are either trying to heat or cool. During the cooler months, cold air is entering the crawl space and cooling the ducts that hold the air you are trying to heat. During the warm months hot air is entering through the vents and heating the ducts holding the air you are trying to cool. What a waste! Not to mention, appliances in general have to work twice as hard when trying to heat or cool damp air, and that damp air is entering through the vents in the space.

What can you do now?

If your house has a vented crawl space the first thing you should do is seal it. CleanSpace is a waterproof plastic liner that is placed in a crawl space to keep the outside environment from getting in, whether it is from leaks or water vapor. It is extremely durable and has an antimicrobial additive that prevents mold from growing. The second thing you can do is get vent covers. We seal vents with plastic vent covers that will seal off the outside air. Installing these two products will allow you to sleep at night without worrying about the effects of your vented dirt crawl space.