Does your Southside Hampton Roads home have a ventilated crawl space? If it does, you may end up with serious problems in your home. Here’s why.
Why Ventilated Crawl Spaces Are Not a Good Idea
Pests
A crawl space, because it’s in contact with the ground, can quickly become home to critters and mold. Also, because a crawl space is too small to access regularly, these creepy crawlies can thrive for a long time without being noticed. From spiders and mice to mold and other allergens, you may have a serious issue growing in this often overlooked space.
Moisture
Ventilation means giving air a way to flow through your crawl space. While this sounds like a good idea, in reality it means providing some sort of opening to the underside of your home. This actually provides an open door to persistent and unsightly problems. Unseen moisture can lead to mold and damage to wood, pests can take up residents, and even dust buildup can contribute to allergy problems. It really is a serious problem.
HVAC Damage
To add to this problem, the crawl space is often the area where the HVAC system’s ductwork runs. This means that every time your HVAC system runs, you can be pulling dust, moisture, mold spores, and even rodent feces into the air you are breathing into your home. Unless your ductwork has been professionally sealed, this is a reality for you.
Allergens
Vented crawl spaces also allow problems with the outdoor air to enter your home. Outdoor allergens can disturb the quality of your indoor air, making your family’s allergies and asthma worse.
Increased Energy Costs & Poor Home Comfort
Finally, ventilated crawl spaces can increase your heating and cooling costs each month, simply because they allow non-heated or cooled air into your home. They also allow moisture into your home’s air, which makes your home less comfortable. A less comfortable home means you spend more money heating and cooling it, raising your energy bills.
How to Address a Ventilated Crawl Space
You wouldn’t put a hole in your home, so why would you put one in your crawlspace? Unfortunately, this is simply how many homes were designed. So what is the solution? You can’t get rid of your crawl space if your home has one, because it’s part of the home’s overall design. Instead, you need to deal with the fact that you have a ventilated crawl space. Crawl space encapsulation does this.
Encapsulated crawlspaces are sealed from both the earth below your home and the moisture around it and in the air. This helps you save energy while keeping your home more comfortable. It also eliminates the risk of bugs, mold, and rodents from entering the crawl space and taking up residence. It is a fairly simple process when done by a professional, and will save you significant amounts of time, frustration, and money.
Call MSCO for Crawl Space Encapsulation in Virginia Beach
If you want to eliminate these risks through crawl space encapsulation, Mechanical Service Company can help. Contact MSCO today to learn more about our crawl space encapsulation services, and how they can help you protect your home.
