Crawl space foundation vents have been a hot topic in the building industry for the last five years. Many homeowners are still struggling to understand whether to seal their crawl space vents or continue to leave them open. Many states, like North Carolina, are starting to change their building codes on new homes and are no longer required to have foundation vents. This change is because the codes are over 100 years old, and we now have a mechanical way to move and dry the air with crawl space dehumidifiers.
During the summer, foundation vents let the warm air into the crawl space. This air then meets the cooler air and ductwork in the crawl space. The effect is like taking a cold soda outside on a hot day. Condensation forms introducing moisture into the environment. During the winter, the vents allow cold air to enter the crawl space causing hardwood floors to cool and adding to the heating cost of the home. Any crawl space expert will tell you, moisture is the worst thing to have present in a crawl space as it leads to most problems such as mold and pests.
Crawl Space Brothers will seal your crawl space vent sealing with an insulating foam board and spray foam. This prevents moisture intrusion and thermal exchange. It also allows us to install a dehumidifier to optimize the air space under your home. Vent sealing is the perfect first step to take towards a healthier crawl space. It is also one of the most affordable processes we offer.
Moisture in a crawl space is the biggest thing to avoid. Moisture means mold, pests, and wood rot. While foundation vents were our best way to keep moisture out of the crawl space previously, we now have much better tools that are not as uncertain as the weather to keep moisture out. With moisture control measures like vapor barriers, dehumidifiers, and full encapsulation, keeping water out of the crawl space is much more reliable.
In the summer months, high humidity in the air means letting that hot wet air under your home will only produce more moisture. The condensation from that warm air meeting the cooler ducts can get into the wood supports of your foundation, making them soft and easy for pests to eat. It can also get insulation wet, causing it to come loose from where it hangs, creating an inviting space for mold and pests as well as reducing the effectiveness of your insulation.
In the winter, open foundation vents only let that cold air in and raise your energy bills, giving you cold floors and uncomfortable drafts in your home. Open foundation vents do nothing to help your crawl space or your home and can, in fact, worsen problems in your crawl space. If you have water pipes that go through your crawl space, the risk of them freezing during the winter is greater with open crawl space vents letting in cold air.
All that moisture is an open invitation to pests such as termites, carpenter ants, and other pests. These can damage the wood of your foundation and be extremely difficult to get rid of. Pests love environments that are moisture-rich. Keeping vents in your crawl space open makes it impossible to control the moisture level in your crawl space.
The first step to truly being rid of crawl space moisture is to identify any other ways moisture is getting into your crawl space, whether it’s through the ground, leaky pipes, or water intrusion. Reducing the ways that water finds its way into your crawl space is essential to preventing crawl space problems. If there is standing water in your crawl space, a drainage system and a sump pump are great options for removing water as it pools.
Sealing foundation vents is a great step towards preventing moisture in your crawl space, but it is not a complete solution. Sealing vents is a preventative measure but is most effective in eliminating moisture when combined with other solutions. The best way to prevent issues such as pests and mold from affecting your crawl space is to control the relative humidity. Mold and pests cannot survive in environments where the relative humidity is less than 50%. This is why we recommend sealing up the crawl space and installing a dehumidifier to control the humidity.
If you’re looking to completely be rid of moisture and water in your crawl space permanently, encapsulation is the best solution. Crawl space encapsulation employs a number of techniques, including sealing vents, drainage systems, a vapor barrier, and a commercial under-home dehumidifier to completely seal off the crawl space.
Sealing foundation vents isn’t a perfect fix for every home, but it is an excellent and affordable first step for many homeowners to take towards a safer and healthier foundation. Don’t wait for crawl space issues to worsen, take the first step towards a healthier crawl space and home today by calling Crawl Space Brothers! We are proud to help homeowners protect their home’s from the ground up with the best crawlspace encapsulation and repair.
At Crawl Space Brothers, we’re pros when it comes to crawl spaces, and we are happy to help you find the right solution for any of your crawl space repair needs. When you call us today you can receive a free initial inspection of your crawl space, so you can have a crawl space expert go over all the options you have to improve the health of your crawl space!
We endeavor to help homeowners protect their homes for life. That’s why we offer a Transferable Lifetime Warranty to all of our customers. You can rest easy with the Crawl Space Brothers as we guarantee our 5 Star Experience for all of our customers. We take pride in helping homeowners from all of our locations protect their homes from the ground up with our expert crawl space repair and encapsulation services.
When you need the help of a crawl space expert to protect your foundation, call Crawl Space Brothers! We are happy to help find the right solutions for your crawlspace. We can’t wait to talk to you more about how sealing your home’s foundation vents can benefit your home!
If you have a damp, musty crawl space, reach out to our office today! We offer free inspections at all our locations including Charlotte NC, Nashville TN, Washington DC, Arlington VA, and Laurel MD. Our crawl space repair experts will help you to discover what is wrong with your crawl space. Whether you need mold removal, crawl space repair services, a dehumidifier, or crawl space encapsulation, our team of friendly, experienced technicians can solution your crawl space issue quickly and affordably.
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