Vapor Barrier
Home owners rarely frequent crawl spaces, with good reason.
Crawl spaces are typically dark, moldy, smelly areas of the home. Flooding, rodents, and debris further contaminate the area. Crawl spaces typically collect moisture from groundwater saturation, rain runoff, overflowing gutters, and leaky pipes. All this moisture condenses on cooler wood surfaces, promoting fungal growth, wood rot, and allowing harmful bacteria to multiply and enter into your family members lungs. Because the air in your crawl space is humid and warm, it is trying to escape! We know that warmer air rises, which means that it is finding any gap it can to seep into your home. In fact, all homes have a strong suction force at their lower levels, which draws in outside air, creating an airflow from the ground all the way up to the roof of the home! If your crawl space is a dirty, bacteria and fungus-infested space, that air is being funneled into the kitchen, living room, and bedrooms throughout your home. In addition, moist crawl spaces actually cost you more money! Wet air takes more energy to heat or cool which equals higher utility bills for you.
But installing a vapor barrier can help with these issues. A vapor barrier does not control air movement, but rather the movement of moisture. It also provides a barrier between the ground and your home. Installing a vapor barrier in your crawl space can protect your home from moisture, mold, and rot, as well as potential damage to the wood beams supporting your floor. It can also improve the air quality in your home by preventing the movement of mold spores and other pollutants from the crawl space into your living areas. It is an affordable layer of protection for your home and your health.
Steps:
- Inspection
- Ensure crawl space is sealed and allow all water to dry.
- If needed, install a sump pump system to minimize flooding.
- To prevent moisture from passing through your floors and porous concrete walls, the vapor barrier is installed.
