You may have heard people talking about encapsulating their crawl spaces and be wondering if it’s something that you should look into. We’re writing this blog to give you a fuller picture so you know what crawl space encapsulation entails.
A crawl space is a space between the ground and the first floor of your home. Space where all the pipes and wires are kept, where you need to crawl into to do maintenance work or repairs. It is also the space that keeps the dampness of the ground away from your house’s floor, it is dark and wet, and therefore it gets damp and that makes it the perfect breeding grounds for mold.
Let’s face it – crawl spaces do have their advantages but they also attract water, mold and even rodents, all of which compromise the equipment that goes under your home (HVAC system, water heater, electrical wires, pipes, etc.), can also cause the structure of your home to rot, and all of these in their own way ruin the air in the crawl space, which is air that enters your home.
Improve Your Crawl Space
The good news is that encapsulation can help you improve the environment of your crawl space. So, what exactly is crawl space encapsulation?
Encapsulation is the process of sealing your whole crawl space in white plastic. When you encapsulate your crawl space you are required to install a sump pump and dehumidifier. Once your crawl space is covered in white plastic or encapsulated, it not only looks much better and cleaner, it also reduces the moisture in the space, which in turn reduces mold growth. It also makes the air cleaner, which as mentioned, is the same air that your home shares with the crawl space. Another advantage is that now space is clean you can use it as a storage area.
If you’re experiencing these problems in your living area their source might be your crawl space, and you might consider having it encapsulated:
- Musty odors
- Rot on the floors
- Cold floors
- High heating and cooling bills
- High humidity
- Bucked wooden floors
You can check out your crawl space to see if there is anything causing these problems, such as:
- Water on the ground
- Mold or moisture
- Moisture damage
- Condensation on pipes
- Soggy insulation
- Pests or rodents
- Wood rot
All of these can cause serious problems to your house and should be dealt with as soon as possible to prevent further decay to the house. You can also get a water damage remediation company to inspect your crawl space. Their experts will advise you on what repairs must be made and how to keep your crawl space well maintained, including whether you should encapsulate the space.
Our qualified licensed contractor provides a full range of inspection, mold removal, mold testing, remediation and water damage services in San Jose. Don’t hesitate to call us if you want an expert to check out your crawl space.