The Problem with Dirt Crawl Spaces

One of the biggest epidemics in American housing is right underneath many homeowners’ feet. Every year, 250,000 homes with vented dirt crawl spaces are built in the United States. Dirt crawl spaces are allowed by housing code, so why is this a problem? 

Answer: moisture. Concrete is porous, it sucks up moisture from water, where it sits and festers. Damp air from the ground passes through concrete pores and settles into the crawl space. This moisture raises the relative humidity of crawl spaces, which can lead to musty smells, insects and pests, energy loss, rotting wood, and even dangerous mold.

Crawl spaces stay cool because the ground stays an average of 55 degrees year round. When warm air enters a crawl space, it is cooled by the ground around it and the relative humidity goes up. The writers of building code thought that venting would solve the humidity issue, however it only makes the problem worse. On warm days, the crawl space gets vented with hot air. On cold days, cold air enters. High humidity and wood is the perfect recipe for nasty mold and mildew. Dirt crawl spaces are the menace behind high energy costs, asthma and allergy symptoms, mold, and rot. It’s time to do something about it.

Quality 1st Basement Systems provides crawl space encapsulation, which fixes musty smells, prevents mold from growing, keeps out water vapor, lowers humidity and protects the crawl space from pests. Our crawl space sump pumps, dehumidifiers, and CleanSpace vapor barrier will take a wet crawl space and transform it. The best part is, crawl space encapsulation saves money on energy bills!

Call now for a free estimate on fixing your dirt crawl space!