I've never even looked in the crawl space. Why does it matter?

Your crawl space might not get your attention, but it is critical to the health of your home, and the people who breathe the air inside it.  Left unattended, your crawl space can cause some serious issues for your home; higher energy bills, mold/mildew issues, and structural settlement just to name a few.

The technology and science behind fixing crawlspaces has changed dramatically over the past few decades.  Ventilation, once a common practice, now can actually become the enemy of your crawlspace.

There are four critical steps to consider when fixing crawlspaces.  Let’s take a quick look at each of them.

Controlling ground water seepage.   You want to keep your basement dry all the time, why not a crawlspace?  Homes breathe by a process called “the Stack Effect.”  Air enters the home from a basement or crawlspace, rises through the home, and exits through the attic.  When you leave a wet and musty crawlspace untreated, unhealthy air rises through your home, triggering allergies and a host of other breathing difficulties.  Drying out a crawlspace is critical to prevent many of these kinds of problems.

Isolating the earth’s moisture from the home.  Once the groundwater has been controlled, eliminating the vapor transfer from the moist soil into your home is the next step.  Crawl space encapsulation is the most effective way to achieve this.  We use our patented liner, designed specifically for the crawlspace environment.  Once complete, vapor transfer from the soil is eliminated.

Seal out the outside air.  Next, blocking up old vents and sealing the rim joist area of your space is critical to stop warm, damp air in the summer and cold air in the winter from entering your crawlspace.

Finally, dehumidifying the space with our crawlspace dehumidification system.  Controlling the humidity helps control odors and prevents the growth of mold.  The SaniDry CX was designed specifically for the crawlspace environment and will drain directly crawlspace drainage system.

Creating the right crawlspace environment is critical to your home’s health.  For more information or a free crawl space repair estimate in St. Louis, call the professionals at Woods Basement Systems today.