Crawl Space Repair & Encapsulation

Crawl Space Encapsulation® and Your Home

2015-08-17T22:15:00-05:00

Encapsulation and the impact on your home.

The negative impact an open crawl space has on a home extends from comfort to energy waste. The research is in, the impact of indoor air pollution, costly structure repairs and the strain on the heating and cooling system caused by the crawl space environment has more home owners looking to enclose their crawl space as an all in one solution. Let us explore how is this done and how much should it cost.

The open crawl space environment

The crawl space environment is naturally harsh and unfriendly to the home above it. Generally the floor is lower in the crawl space than the outside yard causing water to settle and allowing the moisture levels to rise beyond ideal. This standing water attracts mice, termites and snakes looking for a meal into the space. Termite damage in the US is estimated at 600,000 homes and $5 Billion. If that is not bad enough the high moisture levels allow mold, mildew and fungus to germinate on the homes wood structure. A rousing case of dry rot can single handedly steal the funds set aside for your next vacation. Often, there are utilities in the crawl space like water lines, heat and cooling ducts, air handlers, water heaters and well pump tanks. In the winter the open crawl space brings dryer air but also bitter cold air threatening to burst water lines, flooding the crawl space and clobbering your wallet. Gosh, does it end there? NO. The energy expense of a home on an open crawl space is far more costly than one that is conditioned. And, the discomfort of a drafty home in the winter and stuffy home in the summer make relaxing in the home difficult. Encapsulation the crawl space relieves the home from all of these problems.

Enclosing the Crawl Space

The crawl space is part of the home even if we don't want it to be. Those vents in the foundation bring in the outside air more often than they remove the crawl space air. So, it only make sense to keep the outside out from the inside of the home. There is the right way to do this and there are many, many ways to do it the wrong. Let's start with what not to do.

Don'ts

Have you ever searched the internet for a solution to why your computer is acting up and you find an article describing exactly your problem? As you read on, their solution is to delete some folder named System32? Advice like that happens in our industry too. There is so many articles written by folks that are trying to get rankings and put out content, but do not understand what they are writing about. This leads to a lot of bad misinformation on the Internet. Sometimes, it is a company just trying to be different but not really knowing how bad their advice is. And sometimes it is some guy trying to be a kung fu celebrity YouTube star. So let's go through the basic concept steps to give you a foundation for your research.

Do's

Assess the scope of work

Most crawl spaces will need the same basic improvements. The inspection should include someone actually going inside the crawl space and traveling to all four corners, visit all support piers, all foundation vents, any appliances/equipment while inspecting the floor and rim joists along the way. Take notes either by writing it down or by voice on your phone. Take lots of pictures unless you would like to visit your dungeon a few more times. This visit is also a great time to take measurements. Usually a standard tape measure will not be long enough so a digital measuring device is recommended.

Step 1 Signs of Water

Look for water marks on the wall and effervescent in the corners. If you find wet corners this is a sign of a water problem both inside the crawl and outside home. Down spouts are located at the corners of the home and generally speaking are most likely the cause of this kind of moisture in a block wall. Keep the downspouts draining a minimum of 5' from the home on a positive grade. It is highly recommended the home have a quality sump pumpsystem and drain pipe installed if there is any sign of water at all. Saving money on not installing a sump pump system will only ensure the following steps will be in vein. Remember water is a VERY important, 10 out of 10, problem to your home and must be solved completely or this will be your new part time wildly expensive hobby.

Step 2 Signs of Mold, Mildew and Fungus

Mold, mildew and fungus are not problems we want to have and if you do or are told you do, please get a second or even a third opinion from an expert not a salesmen. Salespeople sell and experts identify, assess and plan. It is unfortunate that everyone can not be trusted at face value, this is the reason a reputable expert with a great reputation is motivated to maintain that great reputation. This can be an expensive step or maybe not so bad with the correct assessment.

Step 3 Bugs

Termite tunnel on a foundation wall

Powder Post Beetle

If you find spiders and a few rolly pollies then this is normal and harmless. If you find a termite tunnel (pic to left) on your foundation or a bunch of really small pin holes made by the Powder Post Beetle(pic to right) in your floor joists then you have a problem and it's time to call a professional to treat them. Of course then you will need to repair the damage.

Hopefully you catch it before there is any real damage. Once you encapsulate the crawl space and install a dehumidifier your chances of dealing with these pests again are greatly reduced.

Encapsulate your crawl space

Protect from future standing water

The place to save money is not on the water control system or also known as a sump pump system. It will cost you much more If you wait to do it later or think you don't need it and you are wrong. The vapor barrier will need to be removed on the perimeter far enough you can dig the drain pipe in. This means you need enough room to spread and level out the dirt you dig from the trench and sump pump hole. That is a lot of dirt, trust me. You will be muddy and crawling on and around your white barrier while you install the system. Then you will have to re-tape the walls and floors together.

If there is any signs at all of water in the crawl space, install a sump pump system. Use the dirt you take out of the trench and sump basin hole to fill the low areas of your crawl space and get it as level as you can. The finished product will look really nice if you do this.

Install a vapor barrier like GuardianLiner®

Selecting a vapor barrier is a really important step. This is also not a place to save money if you want a long lasting solution. Shop around for the best encapsulation products, ask about a written warranty and get samples. If they don't offer free samples, skip them as an option because they don't offer anything you would want to buy when compared to appropriate vapor barrier. If you want cheap plastic go to the hardware store for less money than you can buy the same thing from kung fu crawl space. If you want an engineered vapor barrier designed and tested for the crawl space then look at GuardianLiner® or SilverBack®. The encapsulation installation steps can be found here

Once your crawl space is ready to be encapsulated make sure you close the foundation vents permanently. There are so many gimmick products out there to avoid, like friction fit foundation vent covers. Super easy to install and equally easy for a mouse to remove. Do this part right. You may have heard of the term "crawl space encapsulation® DIY," this simply refers to doing the encapsulation yourself versus hiring a crawl space contractor.

We also get a lot of questions about the cost of encapsulating a crawl space. This depends on a lot of different factors, but especially on the size of your crawl space. Generally speaking smaller companies will charge less to do the same work as a larger company that charges more. Workmanship is the key to the success of enclosing your crawl space. You will get a better result with great workmanship and cheap products than you will with great products and poor workmanship. The ideal situation is to get great workmanship and great products and that takes knowing how it should be done before you do it or hire someone to do it. You should also know that the cost of encapsulating your crawl space is somewhere in the neighborhood of cleaning up a bad mold problem or repairing the structure after a termite infestation. If either of these things happen to your home and god forbid they both happen you will need to encapsulate after the work to make sure it does not happen again. Or you could get ahead of the curve and spend the money to have your home protected and prevent any of that from happening.

Improvement Over A “Closed” Crawl Space

An encapsulated crawl space uses all of the features applied to a closed crawl space with a few exceptions.

To be an encapsulated crawl space the vapor barrier is continued up the foundation wall and sealed with vapor barrier tape to the floor vapor barrier. All supports, as well as plumbing that comes through the dirt and walls are also sealed. A polyurethane caulk or two sided foundation tape (like the Foundation Seal Tape™) is applied between the foundation wall and the crawl space vapor barrier to seal the moisture under the barrier. In most cases the vapor barrier that is used is made of high quality polyethylene with a polyester mesh reinforcement. Although some companies offer a clear visqueen plastic purchased from a local hardware as a solution to keep their costs down.

Controlling The Crawl Space Environment

Install a Crawl Space Dehumidifier

The purpose of crawl space encapsulation is to create an environment that can be controlled. The reason the open crawl space is so bad is because the environment is allowed to change daily, sometimes hourly. Much like building a swimming pool and refusing to full it with water because of the extra expense and time, the steps to encapsulating a crawl space should end with an environment that you are controlling with a dehumidifier. Once you have transformed the space, by way of crawl space encapsulation, into an area that is part of the house it will be cleaner and healthier for your home and family.

Encapsulation Is Needed

Maybe you have heard or read somewhere on this site that a crawl space is like a basement in many ways. Well, it is. In the function of the homes air quality and moisture penetration.

Crawl space encapsulation is essentially the same answer to a crawl space as the concrete floor in a basement. Under that concrete floor is a vapor barrier to control moisture. The concrete on the floor is for walking or use durability only. When a quality vapor barrier is used to encapsulate a crawl space it will hold up to crawl traffic and not tear like thin plastic will.

It’s "NOT" Just Plastic

Not all crawl space vapor barriers are created equal, but the truth is all will help in some way. A quality vapor barrier like the SilverBack™ brand will last for 30 years or more, while a 6 or 10 mil clear plastic from the hardware store might last 3 to 5 years. The real investment is in the time and effort it takes to do it right, so for a little bit more money up front your efforts will have a lasting result. If odor is a concern make sure the vapor barrier that is installed is made of polyethylene and not PVC. PVC liners will off gas and smell like a pool liner. If a PVC liner off gasses in the crawl space you will smell it in your home.

Radon Gas

Radon gas is a concern for all homes and all foundation types. It is a smart move to test for Radon (we offer free radon test kits with every SilverBack™ order) before having any crawl space vapor barrier installed. The SilverBack™ vapor barrier stops 98.6% of radon gas migration, but if there is a Radon gas problem there are other steps that need to be taken in order to protect your family.

If you do not properly test and investigate the proper ways to mitigate Radon gas you could make the problem much worse. A Radon gas problem is very serious and very possibly life threatening. Click here to see a US map of Radon gas concentrations

Conclusion

With an encapsulated crawl space your home and family enjoys a better indoor air quality, lower energy bills, a comfortable home and peace of mind that your home is not slowly degrading under your feet. Your home, with a healthy crawl space, will be easier to sell and will regain its full value on the home market. You might as well enjoy these benefits while you own it are living there.

Crawl Space with a Concrete Floor

2016-02-07T12:23:00-06:00

The concrete floor

In this design a concrete pad called a “mud pad” is poured on the crawl space floor. This is essentially a concrete barrier meant to help control moisture in the crawl space. This is done several ways; with and with out a vapor barrier. The traditional mud pad is a poured concrete pad over a roughly graded dirt floor. There is little prep work done to flatten the area so the concrete thickness can range from 2” to 6” thick. The final grade of the concrete will appear flat.

A good contractor will install a vapor barrier on the floor prior to pouring the mud pad. This is done because the concrete itself is not a good moisture barrier. Water and moisture will pass through a concrete slab that does not have a vapor barrier with little trouble. The reason this is important is because if a vapor barrier was not used then closing the vents will cause other issues unless a dehumidifier is used. But if a barrier was used, then you will have more options on how to best control the humidity. Closing the vents is the key to fixing the cold crawl space problem.

The crawl space insulation installed in this application would be R-19. Install the insulation above the foundation wall inside the rim (or band) joist cavity only. Think of this design as a mini basement. Next time you are in a full size unfinished basement take a look up and you will see there is no insulation in the joist cavities. The most recent building code (IRC 2006) states that the insulation in the floor joist cavity is no longer needed if the exterior foundation walls are insulated. One option is to have (closed cell) spray foam installed on the foundation walls.

The real benefit here is to cover the portion of the foundation that is above the outside grade. The cost of this insulation is usually by the square foot, so the more you have sprayed on the more it will cost. Do not have the rim joist sprayed with this type of insulation. You could end up with problems repairing or replacing any wood that may get damaged due to insects or water damage. It also does not allow for termite inspection and that could be a huge issue if you plan to sell your home in the future. It would be a wise move to add a few heat ducts to the crawl space to keep it warm.

A few words of caution, although this design is far superior to the open crawl space it potentially has some of its own problems. Even with a vapor barrier under the mud pad you will have to find a way to control the moisture that comes in the crawl space from the unprotected foundation walls. This area has the same potential for moisture and water problems as a mud pad that does not have a vapor barrier. If you close the vents in this design you will have to install a dehumidifier to control excess moisture.

Photo Source-http://chezerbey.com/2012/01/0...

Pro's of a Conditioned Crawl Space®

2015-09-09T22:34:00-05:00

The Best Solution

This type of crawl space uses all of the positive parts of the other crawl space designs and leaves out the negative ones. A conditioned crawl space® is part of the home, finally leaving the outside out and taking the final steps beyond the other options to create a healthy comfortable home.

Energy Efficient

Adding conditioned air (either heated, cooled or dehumidified) to the crawl space will help maintain the desired temperature inside the homes envelope. The new clean, dry, insulated and conditioned crawl space® will make the floors in the home warmer in the winter and eliminate foul smells in the warmer months. The ductwork in the crawl space will no longer be exposed to the dramatic temperature changes that it once was in the open crawl space. This improvement alone will shorten the heating cycle of the furnace and warm your home faster. In the summer the home can take advantage if the free cool air that is in the crawl space to take a load off the air conditioner.

Cleaner Air

When the crawl space is cleaned up and finished, your home will not be subject to the contaminated air that once seeped into your home. By circulating the air on all levels of the home the wood structure will be protected as if it were in a basement. There will no longer be an incubator under the floor to aggravate allergies or asthma.

DIY Project

The larger franchise companies would like you to believe that this “science” is far to complicated for a homeowner to do, that it must be done by a professional. If fact that is absolutely not true. In the past few years our SilverBack™ products have been installed by husband and wife teams, single parents and even homeowners as young a 71. We are here to help in all phases of the project; design, layout, material estimates, answering questions, technical support and problem solving- we’re just a phone call away.

Cost

Most homes can have a conditioned crawl space® for less than $1500 if they do it themselves. Having a professional install one might range from $4000 to $20,000 depending on the professional and the size of the crawl space. The difference is you will save basically a family vacations worth of money as well as knowing it was done just the way you wanted.

In The End

Don't leave out the most important part, "conditioning" the air. Although this project will never be planned for in the budget, don't save your money on this step. After all it is the reason you would have the vents closed and the crawl space liner installed. Not conditioning the space after you spent the money preparing to condition the space is like not filling the pool with water after you build the pool. Who would build a swimming pool, then save money not filling it with water?

Doing this yourself may not be your cup of coffee (or tea if your from Europe) and we can help there too. We have 100's of contractors in the US that install our SilverBack™ vapor barrier products and we would be happy to introduce you. Even if we do not have one in your area we will work with and train a contractor that you already know and trust to do the work for you. We are at your service, just let us know how we can help.

Concrete Encapsulation

2015-07-23T21:17:00-05:00

Encapsulate using concrete

Similar to a concrete crawl space, this type incorporates no foundation vents and uses foundation insulation to control energy loss.

This type of crawl space takes advantage of both the “closed” and the “concrete” crawl space strengths.

In this design sealing the walls with an insulation to control energy costs also protects the crawl space from moisture penetration from the foundation walls. You can learn about encapsulating a crawl space here.

Share the air

The most common source for ventilation in this design is to add a conditioned air supply to the crawl space. This ensures the crawl space is at its peak of energy efficiency.

The Insulation

The two types of insulation used in this design are rigid foam and closed cell spray foam. Both types of insulation offer a level of moisture protection from the foundation wall.

Balance the budget

Although this design offers many comforts it also is very costly. As time goes by the cost of spray foam insulation will undoubtedly come down, but for now it is on the high end of the options. Added to that is the cost of a good quality crawl space vapor barrier under the concrete and of course the concrete itself. This method calls out to do the math and determine if you will get back your investment. Individual situations will determine what’s right for your home and family.

A conditioned crawl space

This design is considered a conditioned crawl space. This is ONE OF the energy efficient and comfortable crawl space designs.

The Cons-

Cost
Not a DIY project

Photo source- http://www.permadrywaterproofing.com/concrete-for-crawl-spaces

Concrete Crawl Space Pros & Cons

2015-06-15T21:05:00-05:00

A crawl space with a concrete floor either with or without foundation vents

This type of crawl space is not as common but has its advantages. For one, this type of construction is more energy efficient than an open crawl space if constructed without foundation vents.

Ventilation

The concrete crawl space uses mainly two different types of ventilation:

Foundation Vents

and/or

Ventilation using the forced air (furnace) system of the home

Durable storage option

Although most crawl spaces are too short for this option after the home is built, it offers a lasting means for durable storage.

A bit more costly

Gaining the durable storage does come with a price, usually adding several thousand dollars to the construction costs.

A cap on the odor

A crawl space with a concrete floor has far fewer odor problems than an open crawl space.

The Cons-

Some are constructed with foundation vents
Most are poured as a “mud pad”. A mud pad is a rough poured concrete slab that’s sole purpose is to cap the earth under it- usually without a vapor barrier between the concrete and the earth. Therefore, there is little to no protection for the crawl space against moisture penetration through the (non vapor barrier) floor and the walls.
If conditions change and a water problem shows up it can be very expensive to install a drain system in an existing concrete floor crawl space due to the height.
When installing a concrete floor in a crawl space after the home is built will cause very high moisture in the crawl space due to the drying and curing process. This will go away, but will need to me managed to prevent any new issues.
Not a DIY Project

Photo Source-http://chezerbey.com/2012/01/08/the-sad-basement-a-look-back

Closed Crawl Space

2015-05-12T20:36:00-05:00

A closed crawl space is one that was built without foundation vents.

Within the last few years the building code has allowed homes built on a crawl space to be built as a “closed crawl space”. This means foundation vents are not required as long as other requirements are met. This type of crawl space is more energy efficient than an open crawl space.

Sealing the crawl space is also known as crawl space encapsulation. Encapsulating crawl spaces ensures that the outside moisture is sealed outside and you reduce the moisture levels within the crawl space. Afterward, a crawl space dehumidifier can be used to lower the moisture levels even further.

The crawl space still needs ventilation

If a crawl space is built without foundation vents it is still required to have ventilation. The two most common configurations are:

Ventilation using the air from the home- via openings in the floor or ventilation using the forced air (furnace) system of the home

Continuous vapor barrier on the floor

There needs to be a continuous vapor barrier, rated at less than 1 perm, laid on the floor with all seams lapping at least 12?.

Insulation

There are two insulation methods allowed in a closed crawl space: Insulating the perimeter foundation wall or Insulating the floor joists (crawl space ceiling)

Cons-

Generally, the vapor barrier is loosely installed preventing proper moisture control from the earth floor.
There is no moisture protection from the crawl space walls.
Odor can still be a problem with a closed crawl space

Open Crawl Space

2015-04-08T20:03:00-05:00

What is an open crawl space and why does it need to be “fixed”?

A typical open crawl space has open foundation vents and an exposed or partially covered dirt floor.

This type of foundation construction is very common throughout the United States and Canada.

Reasons a home is built on a crawl space

There are several reasons a home is built on a crawl space instead of a basement or a slab foundation. The two major reasons are cost and ground water problems.

Ground water problems

An area that has a high water table or is near a lake, river or canal will have little choice but to explore a crawl space foundation or a slab to build a home on. Basements most often are not an option unless they are located on high ground due to the dept of the foundation required to build a basement.

Cost

Another reason homes are built on crawl spaces is because it is cheaper. Most crawl spaces are only 20? to 36? to the bottom of the home floor joists. Compared to a basement which has an average height of 8', there is much more work and expense involve in making the foundation 5-6' deeper into the ground for a basement. Although homes on a crawl spaces are less expensive to build they are more expensive to heat.

Open crawl space problems

The list of problems associated with an open crawl space goes on and on. For all homes built on a crawl space there are similar problems but always one or two major reasons to get it fixed. What we hope to do here on our website is to alert you to what else might be going on under the floor and help you find a solution that won’t break the bank.

There are five major problems with six common symptoms and four distinct causes to the negative issues associated with the open crawl space environment.

To help you better understand what is going on in the crawl space you have to first separate the real problems from the symptoms. Once you understand the problem you can fix your crawl space instead of medicating the symptom.

Symptoms

Odor
Mold/Mildew/Fungus
Wood Boring Insects- i.e. Termites, Powder Post Beatle, Carpenter Ant
Structure Rot
Cold Floors
Moisture
Foundation Vents/Outdoor Accesses
Foundation Walls
Gaps Around Sill Plate and Rim Joist

What does this all mean?

Although many homeowners see the symptoms listed above as the real problem, but actually are not. Like any part of life, fixing a symptom will only gain short term results and with a crawl space it may end up causing more problems. By identifying the real problems, as listed above, we are able to find the cause.

Take odor for example, there are two factors that increase odor, heat and moisture. A dead animal on the side of the road does not smell as offensive in the winter as it does in the hot summer. A dog might not smell bad when he is dry but if he gets caught in the rain he will smell like a wet dog and that’s usually not pleasant.

The point I am trying to make is if you fix the cause of the problem, the symptoms go away. It is easier and less expensive than you may think to get these problems fixed as a DIY Project. It is however, a bit more complicated that just putting down plastic. Keep in mind this project is just as much about what not to do as it is about what to do.