Crawl spaces, often neglected and unseen, play a surprisingly crucial role in your home's health. For homes built on a crawl space, studies show approximately 50% of the air you breathe comes from the crawl space. When poorly constructed, and particularly when moisture problems exist, crawl spaces can create a disaster for your home's Indoor Air Quality and even compromise the structural integrity of the home.
Moisture is the greatest enemy to any home. Because crawl spaces so commonly have moisture problems, these spaces become a breeding ground for mold (not to mention pests and rodents). Unfortunately, crawl spaces have been incorrectly built for decades. Traditional crawl space construction in humid climates is often the culprit, allowing moisture-laden air to freely enter through vents.
The proven solution is to seal the crawl space, AKA Crawl Space Encapsulation. When kept sealed and maintained properly, a homeowner can more effectively:
Below are some of the common signs of how a crawl space problem can affect your home.
We conduct a thorough crawl space inspection to identify mold, excess moisture, and any signs of water damage to structural components.
Any existing mold must be fully remediated before the crawl space can be sealed. Additionally, all excess moisture must be extracted and eliminated from the area.
We install a high-quality vapor barrier to seal the crawl space, preventing ground moisture from rising and coming into contact with the underside of your home.
In the Southeast’s humid climate, we recommend sealing all crawl space vents to prevent moist air from entering.
In very humid areas, such as the Southeastern United States, it may be necessary to add a permanent dehumidifier in the crawl space to manage moisture.
In situations where there is water pooling in a crawl space, a sump pump drainage system is recommended to collect the water and pump it out.
Ensign delivers top-quality work by investing in ongoing education and certifications through leading industry organizations.
As a certified Mold Remediation Company, we’re a trusted expert in mold removal.
Crawl space encapsulation is the process of sealing a home's crawl space from outside air, moisture, and pests using a heavy-duty vapor barrier on the floor and walls, along with sealed vents and, in many cases, a dehumidifier. The goal is to create a clean, dry, controlled environment beneath the home instead of an open, vented space exposed to ground moisture and outside air.
Vented, untreated crawl spaces are prone to high humidity because they sit below grade, surrounded by cooler soil that holds moisture differently than the air above ground. Left unaddressed, that moisture can lead to mold growth, wood rot, pest infestations, and poor indoor air quality throughout the home. Encapsulation controls the moisture source directly, protecting both the structure and the air you breathe upstairs.
Yes. Mold needs oxygen, an organic surface, and moisture to grow, and moisture is the only one of those three that can be controlled. By sealing out ground moisture and humidity, encapsulation removes the conditions mold needs to grow in the crawl space, which helps prevent mold from spreading into the rest of the home.
Often, yes. An unsealed, vented crawl space allows outside air to affect the temperature of the floors above it, forcing your HVAC system to work harder. Encapsulating and conditioning the space helps stabilize temperatures, which can reduce the load on your heating and cooling system and lower energy costs over time.
Most residential crawl space encapsulation projects are completed within 1 to 3 days, depending on the size of the crawl space, its accessibility, and whether additional work such as dehumidifier installation, insulation removal, or pest remediation is needed. Ensign will provide a specific timeline after an on-site inspection.
A vapor barrier alone only covers the ground and helps block moisture rising from the soil, while full encapsulation seals the entire crawl space, including the walls and vents, and often includes a dehumidifier for complete humidity control. Homes in humid climates, like Georgia, or homes with existing moisture or mold issues typically benefit most from full encapsulation rather than a vapor barrier alone.
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