As a homeowner, have you ever given thought to the fact that the crawlspace under your home may be costing you extra money, damaging your property, and creating a health hazard for you and your family? It’s likely that you can’t even remember the last time you’ve considered your home’s crawlspace or whether you need basement waterproofing, but this is something you need to think about, if you want to keep your family healthy and maintain the value of your home!
Look, crawlspaces are typically constructed out of hollow masonry blocks or poured concrete stem walls. Generally speaking, outdated construction methods called for such areas to consist of dirt floors and permanent vents to the outdoors, that supposedly prevent moisture accumulation in such spaces. However, such construction methods have little or no regard for moisture-causing sources that contribute to long-term structural damage to the property and pose a serious health hazard for anyone living in your home.
But don’t just take it from me, this is something that the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory has been addressing. In fact, research has shown that vented crawlspaces tend to increase the moisture level within the area, instead of keeping it dry. This is because crawlspaces typically collect moisture from such vents, as well as other sources, including rain runoff, overflowing gutters, leaky windows, groundwater saturation, or even plumbing leaks. All this increased moisture then condenses on the cooler wood surfaces of the floor framing, promoting fungal growth and wood rot damage.
Moreover, because much of the air that you and your family breath inside your home comes from your home’s crawlspace or basement, all this increased moisture acts as a super catalyst for the growth of airborne mold, mildew, and fungus, for bugs and mites to multiply and encroach upon your living space, and for harmful bacteria and dust mites to collect in your carpet areas and on your family and pets.
At the same time, all this increased moisture can damage your property, causing long-term structural damage to your wood-framed walls, wood floors, and other organic products in your house. In other words, this extra moisture can cause your cabinets, walls, and flooring to rot, swell, and buckle, causing many thousands of dollars in damages. To add insult to injury, such a moist crawlspace is actually costing you more money in heating and air-conditioning costs, as a damp and wet area takes more energy to heat or cool, and this translates into higher energy bills for you.
The last thing I want to do is scare you!
But the truth is that things can also get worse. If you decide to “take matters into your own hands” and improperly seal the vent openings on your own, you can actually multiply the level of moisture in your home, increasing the amount of mold, mildew, and fungus spores that are released into your home’s environment, speeding up the process of damage to your property, and even increasing your utility bills! Unintentionally, you can also create a potentially deadly situation if your basement or crawlspace incorporates a ventilated-type of combustible equipment like a home water heater.
So, at this point you’re probably asking, is there any good news here for me?
I’m here to tell you that yes, there definitely are steps you can take to remediate this situation, provide your family with a healthy and comfortable living space, prevent damage to your home, and lower your energy bills. You can do this by following the advice of today’s top government and building scientists who recommend that homeowners install an affordable crawlspace dehumidifier and a reputable crawlspace encapsulation system. By keeping your crawlspace dry, you can banish the humid air that breeds mold, mildew, and fungus, gives life to nasty critters and bugs, and rots your home from the inside out.
Where can I get some help?
Weinstein Construction is the leader in basement waterproofing companies. We are also the leading retaining walls contractor in the Greater Los Angeles region! We are drain contractors and leaky basement repair specialists and have helped homeowners keep their home’s crawlspace dry and sealed. We also do basement wall sealing, basement foundation waterproofing, and are experts at waterproofing a basement wall. Whether it’s French drainage installation around your; installing a sump-pump to keep ground water out; adding a dehumidifier to dry the air; adding exterior waterproofing; waterproofing and foundation repair, or laying an ultra-durable polyethylene vapor barrier liner over the crawlspace’s floor and walls, we do it all at an unbeatable price and value!
Let us show you how! call Weinstein Construction today at (800) 862-6582 to set up a time for a free, no-obligation inspection of your crawlspace and basement waterproofing needs. Your peace of mind, family health, and home value are worth it!
