Signs of a Poor Performing Crawl Space

Tuesday, December 20th, 2022 by Dan Bomar

Challenge

A poorly treated crawl space can impact a home in many ways. Often, people don't realize that the source of their cold floors, allergies, cold rooms and general discomfort, is the condition of their crawl space below the home. A quick visit into a homes crawl space and a visual inspection can easily tell you what needs to be done to help improve it. Traditional methods for treating a crawl space like plastic floor covering and insulated crawl space ceilings can not only fail to help, but they can sometimes make it worse. Open air vents allow outside air and temperatures to impact the air inside of the crawl space.

Solution

Putting together a full plan to clear out old materials from a crawl space like clear or black plastic floor covering and crawl space ceiling insulation are just the first step. Using the right materials to cover, insulate and separate the dirt floors from the air inside of the crawl space can help to control and keep unwanted moisture from promoting mildew and mold growth. Sealing up open air vents that allow external air and temperatures to impact the crawl space as well as using spray foam to seal up rim joists will turn the crawl space into a controlled environment. Insulating the walls rather than the ceiling is the best way to keep from having the space get too hot or cold in different times of year.

Open air vents let uncontrolled air and allergens into a home by way of the crawl space.

Plastic floor coverings often hold moisture and wetness below, rather than allowing it a chance to evaporate, leading to additional air quality issues and possible promotion of mildew and mold.

Falling or loose insulation doesn't do its job. This allows cold air to move right to the floors above. creating comfort issues for the homeowners.

Moisture in a crawl space can lead to issues with wood support beams and foundation pillars. Uncontrolled water and wetness can also promote oxidation and rust to metal items in a crawl space.

Failed insulation and dirty old plastic floor covering not only looks bad, but it wastes space that could be used for storage and materials that cost money.

Most crawl space insulation does not work. The break in insulation where the wooden framing is allows air and temperatures to pass through to the rooms above.