Are you wondering if it’s worth it to encapsulate your crawlspace? Is it worth it to bother? Typically, a crawlspace has a dirt floor and is vented to allow outside air to flow through. This design is meant to keep the air beneath your home’s first floor dry and to create a buffer against moisture that’s in the soil below. But unless you live in a dry climate, this doesn’t quite work as well as planned. Instead, for those who live in humid areas, a vented crawlspace can become a hot spot for moisture build-up. This can lead to a variety of moisture-related problems both for your crawlspace and for your home.
With crawlspace encapsulation, you can prevent outside moisture from invading your crawlspace and home. In turn, this prevents moisture-related problems and saves you from repair costs down the road.
What Problems Can Happen in a Damp Crawlspace?
Should too much moisture be allowed to linger in your crawlspace, it can invite a host of problems to your crawlspace including…
- Mold growth (mold spores need moisture to activate and begin their growth cycle).
- Wood rot in support structures such as your crawlspace floor joists.
- Insects such as termites seek places with damp wood to start new colonies.
- Rodents such as mice and rats may find a damp crawlspace as an ideal place to nest, forage, and reproduce.
- Dust mites need moisture to survive, and a damp crawlspace is perfect for them.
Your Living Space Is Not Immune to Crawlspace Problems
These problems are not restricted to the crawlspace either. Due to the differences in temperature and air pressure in your home, the air in your crawlspace is sucked up into the living space of your home. This is known as the Stack Effect or “chimney effect”. Things light enough to be carried by the air current can spread to the rest of your home including mold spores and dust mite particles. These can agitate those with allergies or asthma, and mold spores can also lead to further mold growth.
Animal pests may enter your living space to forage for food before returning to their home in your crawlspace. Disease and food contamination can spread due to rodents and insect pests as they forage for food and leave behind urine and feces. For the health of you and your loved ones, it can worth it to encapsulate your crawlspace.
As humidity in your crawlspace gets transferred up to your living space, it can further tax your cooling and heating systems. Along with increased energy costs, your home’s air may become muggy and less comfortable. Too much humidity on a hot summer day can even lead to potential heat stroke. But having a dehumidifier in the house won’t be enough to solve the problem—the crawlspace problem must be resolved.
What Kind of Repair Costs Does Crawlspace Encapsulation Protect You From?
The cost of repairing parts of your crawlspace would depend on what the problem is and the extent of it. You might just need mold removal if you have mold growing on the surface of your wooden supports. But if you have mold growing on one part of your crawlspace and a floor joist that’s riddled with termites and their tunnels, the cost will rise as more repairs are required.
According to HomeAdvisor.com, the typical cost range of repairing your crawlspace floor joists is $2,000 – $30,000. Of course, this is just an average range. It depends on the extent of the repairs and the size of your home. Furthermore, even if you had to replace your crawlspace’s wooden supports, the original source of the problem remains. The mold may appear again, wood rot can grow, and the termites can return—all so long as there is enough moisture.
Instead of repeatedly paying for these expensive repairs, you could save a lot of money by investing in a solution that keeps that moisture out in the first place. Along with maintaining the comfort of your living spaces, saving you from repair costs alone can make it worth it to encapsulate your crawlspace.
How Much Does Crawlspace Encapsulation Cost?
Crawlspace encapsulation can range anywhere from $1,500 to $15,000 on average. This figure can be higher depending on the size of your crawlspace and if any repairs are needed before the encapsulation process. But while it can be costly to have your crawlspace encapsulated, it can save you much money in the long-term. Here are just some of the financial benefits that make it worth it to encapsulate your crawlspace…
- Save hundreds on energy costs as your heating and cooling will not need to work as hard.
- Save thousands on repair costs to your crawlspace’s wooden supports due to mold, wood rot, water damage, and pests.
- Save on repairs to any equipment you may have in your crawlspace such as HVAC systems and air ducts.
- Save thousands on repair costs to your living spaces because of pests and mold that can come from the crawlspace.
You will also enjoy a more comfortable living space with less humidity and fewer allergens.
‘58 Can Make Crawlspace Encapsulation Worth Every Penny!
Quality matters. It takes more than putting down a thin store-bought liner to make it worth it to encapsulate your crawlspace. The quality of the materials and products used will make a difference in the longevity and reliability of your crawlspace encapsulation solution. There are several components that may be used to encapsulate your crawlspace including vapor barriers, vent blocks, foam insulation, and even an interior crawlspace waterproofing system. This will depend on your unique situation.
Since 1958, ‘58 Foundations & Waterproofing has continually worked to perfect its crawlspace encapsulation and waterproofing solutions. We believe that quality products and honest methods are key to providing our valued customers with a truly five-star experience. From our tough 20-mil thick vapor barriers and Energy-Star rated HumidiGuard dehumidifier to our own ¾ horsepower Workhorse sump pump, ‘58 has the right tools to make sure that moisture and water stays out of your crawlspace.
We have local offices throughout the Eastern Seaboard! Whether you live near Chattanooga, TN, Richmond, VA, or Marietta, GA, you can always count on ’58 to be there for your crawlspace encapsulation needs!
Treat your home to the quality crawlspace encapsulation it deserves! Contact us today to schedule a free inspection and to receive a detailed price estimate! Be sure to ask us about our industry-unique lifetime warranty and money-back guarantee!