Your Crawl Space Vents Have GOT to Go!
Home construction sure has changed over the years. Aesthetically, wooden panels, bathroom carpeting and wallpaper are definitely out-of-date. There are other features in our homes that made sense decades ago, but no longer make sense now, like crawl space vents. In the 1950s it was considered best practice to ventilate crawl spaces. The thinking was that outside air was somehow better than indoor air and allowing fresh air inside would reduce moisture and mold growth. It was only in the 1990s when the construction industry did more research on the “Stack Effect” (which is the impact of moving hot and cold air on your home) that they realized that vents not only let hot and cold air in, but also water. This water is what leads to condensation and mold growth. Cooled, air-conditioned air also escapes out of the same vents making your HVAC system work even harder to keep the house cool in summer.
Now that you know better, you can do better. The latest crawl space science recognizes that a sealed and conditioned crawl space is beneficial for your home. Crawl spaces are considered the real heart of your home and maintaining a healthy environment down there impacts your upstairs living space. Best practices for encapsulating your crawl space include:
- Covering all open vents
- Adding drainage matting to capture water
- Encapsulating using anti-microbial CleanSpace crawl space liner
- Insulating the walls using SilverGlo crawl space wall insulation
- Adding a SaniDry dehumidifier to remove moisture from the air
These steps lead to a permanent solution to keep your dirt crawl space dry, clean and healthy.
Let us help you fix the problem once and for all, schedule a free inspection today.
