Your home’s crawl space is a breeding ground for mold and mildew. It’s just dark and humid enough to provide the perfect conditions for growth. From your crawl space, airborne mold spores can reach anywhere in the house, greatly affecting the air quality of your home. Encapsulation is a waterproofing solution that keeps the crawl space’s humidity levels down so that mold can’t grow.
Your crawl space is encapsulated with a vapor barrier that’s put on floors and walls. The barrier is made of high-quality polyethylene that’s usually reinforced with polyester mesh. It's similar to what's called 'closing' a crawl space, but the difference with encapsulation is that the floor and wall of the barrier are sealed together with a polyurethane caulk or foundation tape. Any plumbing that comes through the crawl space is also sealed.
You can choose to either do the work yourself or hire a waterproofing professional to handle it for you. Crawl spaces aren’t easy to work in and for this reason lots of people choose to simply pay to have it done. Either way, there are a few things you need to do in order to prepare your crawl space for encapsulation.
Before you install, clear up any moisture issues you’ve got there. If there’s standing water, clean it up. If you’ve got a mold infestation already, get it remediated. Look for evidence of running water, find the leaks and fix them. Once it’s encapsulated, you can’t do any of this. Even with a strong barrier in place, moisture problems will come back in a few months.
Once all moisture issues are resolved, run a dehumidifier to dry it out as much as possible. Do any repairs that need to be done. Clean your crawl space and get rid of any debris that you find there. If the ground isn’t level, you should grade it.
When you get your quote from the waterproofing professional, they may recommend a drainage system. This is an important part of keeping moisture out long-term. The right drainage will direct water away from your crawl space and foundation, preventing future issues.
Encapsulation keeps moisture out of your crawl space and prevents mold infestations that can affect your family’s health, but it has other benefits as well. It protects your house’s foundation from being weakened by excessive moisture. It also keeps the ductwork in your crawl space from rusting. Although you don’t often think about your crawl space, it’s essential to keep it in good shape for your home’s health.
Any problem can be avoided by taking the time and hiring the right waterproofing professional. Make sure that they’re experienced and they know all about encapsulation. Before the job starts, they should give you a comprehensive plan for keeping the moisture out. Ask lots of questions and make sure they answer them to your satisfaction.
At Scaldino Basement Solutions we stands by New Jersey and Staten Island, NY families in their journey to achieving a healthier home. We promise to deliver the highest quality and oustanding customer service.
