Excessive Dampness Solutions For Your Crawlspace or Basement

Crawl space encapsulation refers to the addition of a heavy-duty moisture barrier to the dirt floor of your crawl space, sealed foundation vents, insulated walls, and special crawl space dehumidifier(s).

Crawl space encapsulation is most effective when you seal the space completely. As soon as you’ve encapsulated the space, you can use a dehumidifier to help regulate the moisture levels in the area.

Many homeowners confuse between crawl space encapsulation and crawl space insulation. But the two serve very different functions. Crawl space encapsulation works great when you’re dealing with such issues as ground moisture and humid air. On the other hand, crawl space insulation is ideal only to help with cold floors.

The average cost for crawl space encapsulation is about $7,500. The cost may be higher on some occasions, depending on a variety of factors such as:

1. The size of your crawl space 
2. The condition it is in
3. The materials you use
4. The contractor you hire

To get the most affordable crawl space encapsulation services, you need to do comparison shopping before hiring a contractor.

When you’re spending thousands of dollars or more on a home upgrade, you want to make sure you get everything right. Here are some of the don’ts when encapsulating your crawl space.

DON’T ENCAPSULATE WITHOUT A SEALABLE SPACE

While encapsulating your crawl space will help keep it dry, it will not work if there are large air gaps, allowing outside air to enter the space.

Whether you’re performing a crawl space encapsulation, it is critical to seal out the outside air sources to allow the dehumidifier to condition the air below.

DON’T OVERLOOK THE IMPORTANCE OF A DRAINAGE SYSTEM

Some homeowners assume that encapsulations will keep water out of their crawl space, and they don’t need a drainage system. The mistake with doing so is that an encapsulation does not prevent water entry or flooding under houses.

Damage caused by water can be expensive to repair. Fixing a water-damaged foundation, for instance, can set you back as much as $12,000.

To avoid scenarios where water sits against your house, install a water drainage system that directs the water away. A French drain system or a sump pump can help.

DON’T USE FIBERGLASS BETWEEN FLOOR JOISTS

Unless you’ve chosen NOT to seal and dehumidify or conditioned your crawl space, you shouldn’t use fiberglass.

Actually, it may be a good idea to avoid using fiberglass at all. The material performs poorly when it comes to crawl space insulation. When the material is installed in an unconditioned, vented space, the results are minimal.

Why?

Because the material soaks moisture, losing its R-value in the process. That makes it useless as an encapsulation material. Fiberglass also sags due to the weight of the water, opening holes in the encapsulation blanket.

Even worse, fiberglass batches are typically held together using a urea-based adhesive. When fiberglass, adhesive, and moisture combine, they create a haven for mold. Professional mold remediation could set you back anywhere between $500 and $6,000.

DON’T IGNORE THE VALUE OF PROFESSIONAL INSTALLATION

For many homeowners, DIY home upgrades are fun and cost-saving. But when it comes to crawl space encapsulation, it’s a bad idea to assume you can complete the project by yourself.

If you don’t have the necessary skills and experience to do crawlspace encapsulation, you risk wasting time, effort, and money.