Signs Your Crawl Space Needs an Encapsulation - Oregon City, OR
Challenge
Most homeowners don't enjoy their time at home by investigating their crawl spaces. It typically isn't the first thing on your mind when you walk in through the door. That is, until it starts impacting your living spaces. When a crawl space experiences water damage, that can cause strange smells to seep up into the home. In extreme cases, the water can cause the wooden posts supporting your home to rot or mold, resulting in a sagging sub-floor. No one wants to deal with the costly consequences of excess water in the crawl space. Luckily, John's Waterproofing specializes in keeping crawl spaces dry and healthy by offering homeowners numerous options.
Solution
One of the biggest signs you are experiencing some form of moisture issues is through falling fiberglass insulation. When fiberglass has too much moisture build up, it causes the materials to sag and fall from the sub-floor. If this starts happening it allows exposure for mold and mildew to grow and spread rapidly. Mold is the number one cause for having strange smells in your living spaces. It breaks down organic materials, which all houses are made of, and sends out spores to help it spread. Mold also indicates there is high humidity within the crawl space leading to excess moisture. When crawl spaces aren't protected properly, then the humidity levels can become increasingly high. By protecting your crawl space, you can control the humidity levels to prevent mold and mildew. If a homeowner isn't ready for a full encapsulation we can install a pipe pump and plastic which will help keep water and moisture from accumulating in the fiberglass. To do this we installed a full pipe system to collect excess water and install a sump pump at the lowest point. We then lay in a vapor barrier along the base of the crawl space and up the foundation walls. Being able to trap the water beneath the vapor barrier can control the atmosphere in the crawl space. Thus, keeping moisture out of the air and preventing mold or mildew. So, the next time you start noticing some strange smells or sagging floors, be sure to check your crawl space first.
