How thick does the vapor barrier need to be?

Vapor barriers should be at least 6 mil in thickness to effectively cover the area and create a moisture barrier. A 6 mil vapor barrier is the current code requirement in North Carolina.Triangle Crawl Space Solutions uses both a 6 mil material for simple vapor barrier installation and a thicker more durable 12 mil vapor barrier material depending on the budget and needs of the home.

More common that an issue with the thickness of the vapor barrier is making sure that the vapor barrier is properly installed and is covering the entire area under your home. If the vapor barrier doesn't extend all the way to foundation walls or has gaps in the coverage then moisture simply moves around the barrier and impacts the uncovered area.

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What about access for Termite and other pest inspections?

One of the concerns about installing a sealed vapor barrier or encapsulating a crawl space is what do do to allow access for termite and other pest inspections or treatments. Pest control companies need to be able to both inspect and treat areas under your home so must have clear access to areas where floor joists and wooden sill boards meet the concrete or block structures.

This is the reason that all of our vapor barriers and foamboard insulation panels always stop at least three inches from any wooden structure. This allows pest companies to both inspect and treat any possible problems. In general encapsulating or sealing your crawl space reduces the number of pests (both insect and rodents) under your home by removing moisture and eliminating habitat.

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When is mold remediation recommended?

Mold remediation is recommended when your home is showing signs of mold causing potential dry rot to the structure of your home or if it is causing health and/or indoor air quality issues that are impacting your family or health.

Our technicians can evaluate any mold under your home and make recommendations that will determine if you need actual remediation procedures or if you simply need to control any moisture underneath the home.

Mold requires a damp or wet environment to grow so controlling moisture will naturally reduce mold in your crawl space. Depending on the severity of mold under your home it may be simply a matter of stopping the moisture that allows mold to continue to grow and develop.

If there is extensive mold under your home or it has begun to dry rot the wood structures then remediation may be required. If mold is not severe, we may be able to treat through a simple mold wipe to remove surface growing mold and then manage future regrowth through moisture control methods. An assessment of your specific crawl space conditions is the best place to start.

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I have standing water in my crawl space...Can you help?

Absolutely! Regular standing water creates the highest risk conditions for a home to develop mold, dry rot or other issues and time is often of the essence.

Sometimes standing water may be simply due to a very heavy rain event like a hurricane or summer storms. It may simply recede on it’s own (often before we can arrive with a sump pump) but regular occurrences of standing water or water that does not go away should be addressed.

Call us for a free estimate and one of our Certified Water Restoration technicians will evaluate and provide options to eliminate standing water in your crawl space.

Solutions may include:

• Installation or replacement of a vapor barrier

• Installing a dehumidifier to control moisture

• Trenching moisture away and installing a sump pump

• Encapsulating or sealing the crawl space

• Landscaping or other moisture control methods on the exterior of the home

• Waterproofing or repairing foundations and access doors

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Is 50% of my indoor air really coming from my crawl space?

There is a lot of discussion about crawl space air polluting the air inside your home. Some claims say up to 50% of the air in your home is "dirty" crawl space air.  While for certain there is some air transfer between your crawl space and your home, the 50% claim is exaggerated and doesn't account for insulation, flooring, and other barriers that are in between your crawl space and your living spaces above.

This claim is mostly based on something called the stack effect. Everyone understands that hot air rises and cool air falls. The stack effect is most often associated with how draft works in a chimney but also can be applied to how air moves through your home. In the winter, warm air rises first to your second floor and then is lost through leaks in the roof and ceiling insulation, this change in pressure pulls air through your home to escape at the roof. In the summer the process is reversed as cooled air from the HVAC system seeks to "fall" as a result pushes warm air upward. This is why upstairs bedrooms are hotter than lower levels in the summer. In both seasons, this change in air pressure pulls air from the lowest point, your crawl space, so there is some air transfer but a claim of 50% is drastic.

If your crawl space is musty smelling, dirty and moldy and you are experiencing the same musty odor or seeing health related issues with mold or asthma inside your home then certainly your crawl space might be one place to start addressing this problem.

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What sort of maintenance does my dehumidifier need?

MERV-8 SANTA FE FILTER

Like any household system, your dehumidifier requires some simple maintenance to perform at it’s best. We recommend at least an annual service. Some homeowners elect to perform this maintenance themselves but we will also send a reminder email each year if you would like to have Triangle Crawl Space Solutions perform this maintenance for you.

Cost for the annual maintenance visit is $169. 
What’s included:

• Installation of new air filter

• Dehumidifier- check for proper operation

• Clean P-trap

• Check drop and positioning of drain line

• Replace sensor batteries in crawl space (if hygrometer is present)

• Visual inspection of general crawl space conditions

• Spot check Water Moisture Content of floor joists
  

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