Do You Need to Encapsulate Your Crawl Space?

Sometimes, valuable home improvements occur in areas that most people do not think of or see. One of these places is the dark space underneath your home called your crawl space. Most homeowners ignore this space underneath their home unless a problem happens with the electrical, plumbing, or gas lines that run through it.

Unfortunately, if you are one of these homeowners, you may overlook the valuable benefits of improving this space using encapsulation. What is encapsulation, what are the costs, and what are the benefits? Read on for additional information.

What Is Crawl Space Encapsulation?

Crawl space encapsulation is a process in which a contractor critically assesses your vented crawl space. They will remove old insulation, resolve any moisture and pest issues they find, and fix holes, gaps, and cracks around your external piping and ducts.

Following these tasks, the contractor will add heavy-duty white plastic moisture barriers to the floor and walls of your crawl space. These barrier panels fasten together to eliminate any gaps that would allow moisture in.

The next step is to seal your vents and add additional insulation. Depending on where you live, you may also need to add a dehumidifier. A dehumidifier removes moisture from the air and keeps the humidity levels in your crawl space within acceptable levels all year round. Encapsulation seals up your crawl space and seals out unwanted moisture, rodents, mold, and mildew.

How Much Does Crawl Space Encapsulation Cost?

Crawl space encapsulation costs can run anywhere from $1500 to $15,000 or more with a median of $5500. But these costs depend on numerous factors. Some of these include:

• Square footage of the space to encapsulate
• Number of vents to seal
• Quality of materials
• Required drainage systems
• Required insulation
• Required materials to replace damaged structures
• Required mold remediation
• Cost of labor in your location

Remember, while encapsulation will help keep moisture from rising from the ground underneath your home, it will not eliminate water from entering your home. You may require French drains around your foundation and one or more sump pumps underneath your home.

What Are the Benefits of Crawl Space Encapsulation?

Numerous benefits come with crawl space encapsulation that will help offset the project's cost. Some of these are as follows.

Reduced Energy Costs 

Encapsulating your crawl space keeps the outside weather from entering the area underneath your home. While this is still an unheated or uncooled space, the site will maintain a more stable temperature without the additional drafts. 

With a more stable temperature in your crawl space, heat or cold will transfer through your floors, making your interior space more comfortable. Crawl space encapsulation may make your home up to 20% more energy efficient. This increased efficiency will save you on your monthly energy costs.

Increased Structural Protection 

When excessive moisture is underneath your home, it can lead to a wide array of problems with the underlying structures of your home. Some of these include rotting framing, floor joists, and subflooring, as well as foundation movement.

Crawl space encapsulation can help you achieve the recommended relative humidity levels of less than 50% during the summer and 25% during the winter. This reduction will help keep moisture from affecting your underlying structure and produce a more comfortable interior environment.

Increased Air Quality 

Increased moisture underneath your home can result in mold and mildew growth. Mold and mildew not only produce a musty odor in your home, but mold spores also damage your air quality. 

Crawl space encapsulation can help increase your home's air quality by eliminating mold and mildew. This elimination makes your home's air more comfortable, especially for those who suffer from asthma and allergies. 

Central Penn Waterproofing would love to talk to you further about the benefits of encapsulating your space. Give us a call today for an appointment.