Misconception: Seal All Vents of Encapsulated Crawl Space
Is it a good idea to seal all the vents of an encapsulated crawl space? Sealing all vents is a great way to control humidity and moisture, but don’t overlook soil gases.
Controlling moisture while creating a soil gas or crawl space odor issue is not healthy for your home.
What is a Sealed Crawl Space?
A sealed crawl space, or encapsulated crawl space, is a term given to sealing all vents and installing a crawl space vapor barrier on the walls, floors, and pillars. This design is one of the best ways to create a healthy crawl space according to many experts and engineers.
Concerns with Soil Gases and Humidity
Many homes have radon and other soil gases in the crawl space. If the crawl space is not properly ventilated during encapsulation, soil gases can become more potent in the living space, just like how homes can become very humid when a properly sized crawl space dehumidifier is not included during encapsulation and sealing the vents.
The Importance of Proper Water Management
Still, other homes may flood and float the plastic if necessary water management or crawl space waterproofing is not installed prior to encapsulation. We encourage you to consider all these options when encapsulating your crawl space to ensure it is worry-free for years to come.
Why Sealing the Vents is Important
Sealing the crawl space vents is needed during crawl space encapsulation to help control humidity. Proper ventilation is just as important in crawl space encapsulation as humidity control. Ventilation will move soil gases and odors from the crawl space before they enter your living space.
EPA’s Take on Crawl Space Ventilation
I first heard of crawl space ventilation with encapsulation from the EPA’s website. I was studying radon and came across a picture that showed one crawl space vent fan blowing air out of an encapsulated crawl space. All the other vents were sealed and a dehumidifier was installed. There was vapor barrier and crawl space insulation properly installed as well.
Balancing Encapsulation with Ventilation
It made sense to me that completely sealing the crawl space without proper ventilation would cause soil gases and odors to enter the living space. Ever since I read the article I have been a believer in proper crawl space ventilation with encapsulation. This is why Crawl Space Ninja installs a crawl space foundation fan in all encapsulated crawl spaces.
What Next? Contact us about your Crawl Space problem
Contact us if you need help fixing your crawl space or yard drainage by clicking here.
Do you need help with controlling humidity in your home and you live in Alabama, Georgia, Delaware, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, or Kentucky? If so, please contact us to schedule your assessment. Also, let us know in the comments below if you’d like to suggest a future blog post.
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