Dirt Crawl Space Problems
Dirt crawl space problems can have a major affect on your home’s indoor air quality. This article will hopefully help you understand the importance of fixing your dirt crawl space or dirt basement. Controlling moisture in a dirt crawl space or basement is priority number one to ensure a healthy home for years to come.
Why Do You Have a Dirt Crawl Space?
The dirt crawl space is one of the easiest ways to construct a home on unlevel terrain. It costs a lot of money to build basements or level uneven soil so the home builder created the elevated home design on a crawl space. This way they can place all the mechanical, plumbing, and other eyesore building materials in the crawl space while saving money in the construction process.
The Problem With Dirt Crawl Spaces
The problem with a dirt crawl space is it gives off lots of groundwater in the form of humidity from the soil. Vapor barriers are usually installed in dirt crawl spaces and are essential to help control moisture but are only one piece of the puzzle. When this humidity is absorbed by wood building materials in the crawl space and the rest of your home, it can be a disaster once mold and wood rot fungus begin destroying the foundation. Don’t solely rely on a cheap loose-laid vapor barrier to control humidity in your dirt crawl space.
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Dirt Crawl Spaces Flood
Not only do dirt crawl spaces give off humidity, and lots of it, but they are also at high risk of heavy flooding. Contractors don’t focus much attention on foundation drain systems and eventually, they fail and allow all the water from the surrounding yard to enter the crawl space or dirt basement. Installing an interior french drain system along with correcting outside drain problems can prevent your crawl space from flooding.
Dehumidifiers in Dirt Crawl Spaces
If you have installed the french drain properly and the vapor barrier is covering the entire ground, foundation walls, and pillars, consider installing a crawl space dehumidifier. Crawl space dehumidifiers are often overlooked, but they are our #1 recommended appliance to install in a moist crawl space. Humidity control does not occur naturally in a dirt crawl space. Making sure you keep the relative humidity between 45% and 55% is best for dirt crawl spaces and basements.
What Next?
Do you need help with crawl space encapsulation in Alabama, Georgia, Delaware, North Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky, or South Carolina? 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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