4 Reasons to Encapsulate Your Crawl Space
It’s easy to ignore your crawl space. After all, there really isn’t a reason for you to be down there unless something is wrong. At best it’s a safe space for your HVAC system and some plumbing and duct work - maybe you can stash a few storage bins down there too - that’s about all. But ignoring your crawl space now could cause problems for years to come. Here are four reasons it’s a good idea to encapsulate your crawl space.
Your Health
You spend a lot of time in your house; if you spend that time breathing in dirty air, you’re putting your and your family’s health at risk. Since many crawl spaces contain the home’s HVAC system, if the crawl space is open to outside air, so is the home above it. That means a dirty, moldy crawl space causes the HVAC system to circulate dirty, moldy air. If it seems like you’re always sick or your allergies are worse than ever, your crawl space could be to blame.
Encapsulation means the air in the crawl space is protected from the elements, and your home gets clean air circulation. This can lead to easier breathing, lighter allergies, and generally less sickness.
Your Comfort
Do you have chronically cold floors in the winter? Or rooms that you avoid because they’re just never the right temperature no matter how you adjust your thermostat? That could be your crawl space, too. A process called the stack effect pulls air up from the crawl space and through the house until it exits at the top (through the attic/roof). If your crawl space is unprotected, that air is likely cold, which means your floors will be cold, and rooms above the crawl space will be especially affected.
When your crawl space is encapsulated, the air down there is conditioned just like the air upstairs. This means the temperatures in your home are more consistent and less likely to have hot and cold spots.
Your Safety
One of the biggest issues in an unprotected crawl space is the presence of water. Water leads to mold, which can lead to decay of organic structures (like the beams that support your entire house). Over time, mold riddled beams will totally lose their structural integrity and your house could become a safety hazard.
When you encapsulate, your crawl space is protected against moisture, which means there isn’t even a chance for mold to grow.
Your Wallet
We’ve mentioned the stack effect and how it messes with the temperature in affected rooms above the crawl space. When this happens, your furnace works harder to warm up the room, even if it’s in vain. This leads to higher energy bills.
Consistency is key for keeping energy bills lower and predictable. Encapsulation takes the guesswork out of what temperature your home will be each day, allowing you to keep your thermostat set to reasonable levels.
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Your crawl space might not be the most fun place to spend money in your home, but it’s one of the most important for long term comfort and safety. Call today to schedule a free inspection and get back to living your life instead of worrying what’s happening underneath your home.
