Crawl space encapsulation provides clean and easy access to underneath your home should you need to inspect it or repair gas lines, plumbing, or HVAC ductwork. A clean and dry crawl space is essential to a structurally sound, safe, and healthy home, especially for promoting better air quality. Unfortunately, many homes in East Tennessee don’t fall under this category. We live in an area of the country that experiences high levels of humidity for a better part of the year. This could lead to mold and mildew growth and compromise the safety and integrity of your home. Today on the blog, crawl space professionals at Energy Savers want to share with you the benefits of crawl space encapsulation.
Prevents Moisture Intrusion
The main goal of crawl space encapsulation is to prevent moisture from residing underneath your home. Moisture is a natural occurrence, but if ignored, it could damage your home or cause wood rot and mold growth. A typical moisture barrier is a thin plastic sheeting that lines the bottom of the crawl space. Unfortunately, this isn’t enough to combat moisture in most Kingsport homes.
Reduces Mold Growth
Eliminate and prevent moisture from your crawl space, and you reduce the chance of mold and mildew developing and compromising your health. The air under and within your home circulates. If mold is present in your crawl space, mold spores could easily enter your home and exacerbate allergies and asthma.
Improves Air Quality
A dank and musty crawl space affects the air quality inside your home. If your crawl space is in really bad shape, the inside of your home may even have a musty odor. The United States Consumer Product Safety Commission states that most Americans spend 90% of their time indoors and are at a higher risk of health hazards due to poor indoor air quality. You may find that you spend even more time indoors since the dawning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Improve the air inside your home by professionally encapsulating your crawl space.
Reduces Risk of Pests
Pests usually find their way indoors looking for organic matter (food) and water. Damp crawl spaces could be breeding grounds for pests of all kinds, which eventually will enter your home. If you are dealing with pest issues, you might consider encapsulating your crawl space to make it less inviting to disease-borne insects and rodents.
Energy Efficient
Sealing off your crawl space with a professional-grade encapsulation system makes your home more energy-efficient. It will be easier to cool during the summer and will feel cozier during the cold winter months, all while saving money on your electric or gas bill. The biggest payoff will be in the long run, as you continue seeing lowered energy bills month after month.
Reduces Risk of Structural Damage
Moisture intrusion and mold growth could lead to structural damage to your home’s floor joists, flooring, walls, foundation, and roof. This means much more costly repairs. It could even become a safety hazard.
At Energy Savers, our goal is to help homeowners protect their largest asset and improve the health and safety of their homes through crawl space encapsulation. If you would like to learn more about how crawl space encapsulation works, or if it is the right choice for your home, please contact Energy Savers by calling (423) 378-3737.