Crawl Space Encapsulation – What Is It?                                                                        

Crawl spaces are the tiny spaces under your home acting as a protection against the first floor as well as storage space if you want to give it some utility. But when building the house, probably there wasn’t any protection against water, unwanted odor or pests so it was left as it was. Depending on the climate and geographical location, the crawl space could gather smelly air, and water that you want to eliminate. For that you can either use a crawl space vapor barrier against damp or you can opt for a full crawl space encapsulation or crawl space insulation.

Now, let’s move on to the main topic…

Crawl space encapsulation is a system created to encapsulate the dirt and water from underneath your home so it won’t get into your house. The system is successfully used against pests, termites and other bugs. When installing the system you can either do it yourself or you can call a professional. The systems normally have easy to follow instructions so if you don’t mind spending a few days crawling underneath your house then you can have a go at it yourself. However you may want to call a foundation specialist to identify any potential problems and suggest the correct solution. 

There are a few benefits from installing a crawl encapsulation system and one of them is saving money on your energy bills. Such systems will make your house warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer so it works both ways. Another benefit is that it will improve the quality of your home by eliminating the unwanted smells and the air conditioners will last for a longer time. It also eliminates insect infestations so you don’t have to spend money and energy for periodical disinfections. By encapsulating your crawl space, you will add more storage space to your house that you were skeptical to use before because of the dirt and the damp. Water, dirt and odor free space is always welcome for any surplus of items you may have.

When investing in a crawl encapsulation, experts advise to use good quality products so they will last for a long time. For a quick solution however, the cheaper version is OK too, but you have to bear in mind that you may need to change it after a few years. Alternatively, you can opt for full crawl space insulation for a longer lasting protection. Insulation systems can be applied to the foundation walls so the down side of this system is that it won’t protect against pest infestation. But if you live in a geographical area where this is not a problem then you can go for crawl space insulation. There is however the option of insulating the underfloor too for a complete coverage. 

Whether you choose crawl space vapor barrier, crawl space encapsulation or crawl space insulation, make sure you choose the option that best suits your home and your house’s needs. Don’t forget that investing in such systems not only adds comfort to your home but it will increase the value of the house too. 

For more information regarding Crawl Space Insulation and Crawl Space Vapor Barrier please visit us at www.sealtightsolutions.com