Crawl Space Encapsulation

When fully encapsulating a crawl space, many steps are taken to eliminate moisture and all moisture related issues. When you stop moisture issues in your home, you no longer have to deal with mold, wood rot, insects, foul odors, etc. There also are many other benefits of encapsulating your crawl space as well.

Unfortunately, the crawl space is out of sight and out of mind for a lot of homeowners. This can cause problems to go unnoticed. What begins as a small problem can turn into a very big and costly problem if not caught early enough. When you encapsulate your crawl space, fewer issues can occur.

Anywhere from a third to half of your indoor air comes from your lowest level. If your lowest level is a crawl space full of mold, then you are breathing that inside your home. If there is high humidity in your crawl space, it will rise up and cause you issues inside your home. If there are insects and foul odors in your crawl space, you will breathe and smell what’s happening down there, inside your home. Whatever happens in your crawl space, does not necessarily stay in your crawl space.

So, what is full encapsulation? Here is the short version.

• First, mold remediation is performed if necessary.
• 20 mil, (or dimple padding with 12 mil) heavy-duty, polyethylene vapor barrier covers the entirety of your crawl space floor and goes up piers and walls (About 3-6 inches from the top for future termite inspections). It’s overlapped and sealed up, so there is no exposed ground. (Dog Gone Mold uses vapor barrier products known for their strength, durability and thickness.)
• All foundation vents are sealed off permanently. You will no longer introduce outside air into your encapsulated crawl space.
• The rim joist/perimeter of your crawl space is sealed with moisture resistant foam insulation. This prevents air seepage and moisture from getting into the crawl space. All other potential entry points are sealed up as well.
• A specifically designed crawl space dehumidifier and condensation pump are installed and a drain line routed to the outside of the foundation. This helps regulate air moisture in your newly sealed crawl space.
• Additional steps are taken in certain circumstances that require them. A couple of examples would be installing a sump pump with any necessary trenching before the encapsulation process begins and removing and hauling away any fiberglass insulation that was in the crawl space. Dog Gone Mold evaluates each individual crawl space before giving an estimate to perform work, making sure that all the necessary steps for your crawl space are covered.

That’s the short version of steps taken during full encapsulation, but what are the benefits?

Benefit #1

The air quality inside your home will greatly improve. Remember, a third to half of the air inside your home is coming from below. If the crawl space is mold, insect, moisture, and odor free, your indoor air quality will greatly improve.

Benefit #2

A moisture free crawl space is not a habitable place for pests and wood destroying insects. No moisture = no termites, no crickets and no spiders.

Benefit #3

No more mold issues, no more wood rot issues, no more structural damage! Think of the money you will save without having to worry about mold remediation or floor joist and sub-floor repairs.

Benefit #4

It will create more comfortable living conditions inside your home. You will no longer be breathing dirty, moldy air, with insect feces in it, coming from your crawl space. Only clean air will be rising up now. Not to mention, your floors won’t be as cold in the winter.

Benefit #5

No more high humidity rising up from the crawl space, causing uncomfortable or dangerous levels inside your home. This also means no more buckling wood floors caused by high humidity.

Benefit #6

Lower utility bills = money in your pocket! In the winter, you are paying more to heat the cold air coming up from the crawl space. Damp, cold air will increase your heating bills because damp air takes more energy to heat. This also is a benefit in the summer. Maintaining a cool element in the crawl space aids in the cooling down of the entire home.

Benefit #7

Storage space. Depending on how your crawl space is designed, you can use the newly encapsulated crawl space for extra storage. You wouldn't want to do that in your old, non-encapsulated crawl space, but now you can.

Benefit #8

A more structurally sound and healthy home.

Benefit #9

This is a benefit you get when hiring Dog Gone Mold to perform your encapsulation. Post Encapsulation Check-Ups! Our certified inspector does a final inspection as the work is being completed, as well as a 2 week post encapsulation check-up, then every 3 months during your five year full coverage warranty. (Limited lifetime warranty after the 5 years is up.) This is to check humidity levels and to ensure that all systems are functioning properly and your crawl space is left in great shape!

A five-year full coverage, then limited lifetime warranty comes with all of our crawl space encapsulations and we have options for extended maintenance plans as well. What's better than having a certified mold and certified waterproofing specialist checking your crawl space every 3 months for you so you don't have to!

These are just some of the important benefits that come with crawl space encapsulation in Springfield Missouri. The upfront cost for encapsulating your crawl space may be considered negative, but you’ll make that money back in the long term. Lower utility bills and avoiding repairs in your crawl space will be cost beneficial sooner rather than later.

If you want to have your crawl space inspected, call Dog Gone Mold. We can give you all the information you'll need to know what’s right for you and your home.