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Crawl Space Moisture Control
Why Is Crawl Space Moisture Bad?
Crawl space moisture problems present 4 types of issues:
- An inviting environment for pests and wood-destroying insects such as termites
- Potential damage to your home itself
- Health concerns for you and your family
- Energy consumption
Pests & Wood Destroying Insects
Like all other living organisms, pests need and are drawn to water. The more moisture you have in your crawl space, the higher the likelihood pests will make themselves at home. Termite treatments are usually placed in the ground because that’s where termites come from. However, if the moisture content in the wood your home is built with exceeds 20%, termites can thrive in spite of a treatment, because they can obtain enough moisture from the wood that they don’t have to retreat to the soil and can avoid the treatment. Most termite service agreements become null and void if moisture conditions are not corrected.
Damage To Your Home
It is not unusual for homes in our area to have a moisture level in the crawl space in excess of 20% or much higher. This degree of dampness encourages the growth of mold, fungus, and mildew. When wood moisture levels exceed 28%, wood rot is inevitable.
Obviously, rotting wood will weaken the structural integrity of your home. The NC Cooperative Extension Service estimates that moisture causes more than $1 billion in damages to homes each year. This can range from minor damage like paint peeling up to major damage, such as rotting and crumbling floor systems.
Health Concerns
In 2004 the Institute of Medicine found sufficient evidence to link exposure to mold and damp indoor environments to upper respiratory problems in otherwise healthy people. That effect is multiplied with people that may suffer from asthma or other respiratory issues as well as those that may have weaker immune systems. Sometimes chronic health issues can be traced back to high moisture in the home, and usually, that starts from the crawl space.
Energy Consumption
This article by the US Dept of Energy shows research on the difference in energy consumption of un-vented crawlspace vs conditioned crawl spaces. Part of this study was actually done in North Carolina through the US Department of Energy Building Technologies Program.
Effective Crawl Space Moisture Control
B&T Pest Control offers a FREE crawl space moisture evaluation. After evaluation, our inspector can advise you of the wood moisture content as well as the relative humidity in your crawl space. If there are any problems, he can advise a course of action which may include:
- 8-mil reinforced vapor barriers that have been overlapped, anchored, and taped to reduce the amount of moisture that rises from the ground to the subfloor of the home (some companies use 6-mil and do not overlap, anchor, and tape seams).
- Sealing all cracks and vents to prevent the inflow of moist, outside air.
- Installation of an INDUSTRIAL grade dehumidifier with a pump to keep the air in your crawl space dry (some companies use a cheap, indoor, portable dehumidifier that are designed for single rooms inside the home and NOT for whole house use in the crawl space).
Affordable Crawl Space Solutions
Keeping your crawlspace clean shouldn't empty the piggy bank! Here at B&T pest control, we now offer financing options for all our crawl space and moisture control treatments. We always do whatever we can to make things easier for our valued customers.