Since the house breathes from the bottom up, the last thing you want is to leave openings for outside air to come in and allow dirty, unconditioned air from the crawl space to enter your home, causing your family to breathe in dirt and mold particles, contributing to allergy symptoms and other health issues.
Most crawl spaces have been vented due to antiquated building codes. We now know that venting a crawl space creates big problems! It is absolutlely necessary to seal any vents or areas where outside air can enter in order to prevent potential health issues, mold, mildew, odors and other damage in your crawl space. By doing so, the sealed vents will not only keep outside air out but it will help with other elements such as insects, overly hot or cold temperatures, and keeping the moisture level down. Our patented vent covers are mechanically attached to form an airtight bond.
New construction contractors have favored crawl spaces because they're faster and less expensive to build than digging and constructing a full-blown basement foundation. This type of traditional crawl space construction utilizes openings or air vents in the crawl space walls. The myth was that the outside air would enter the crawl space and would circulate underneath your living space. This of course did not happen the way they percieved it would.
If there is any insulation installed, you may find it in the form of fiberglass batts, placed between crawl space joists, while the crawl space's floor will be made of soil, or concrete. Once this insulation becomes damp, it renders it virtually useless.
Having this type of vented crawl space can be troublesome over time, as during the summer, warm and moist air enter the crawl space, condensing on the cooler crawl space surface. When the crawl space continuously receives this warm air, it can cause moisture to form, which invites mold to grow and causes wood to rot.
The presence of wet wood can also attract insects such as termites and carpenter ants, who want nothing more than to chew up the wood and terrorize your home. Additionally, the fiberglass insulation easily absorbs moisture, and may sag or fall out of place, settling onto the crawl space floor. In winter, there's a new set of problems: the floors become too cold because of the wet and missing insulation, meaning higher heating bills.
One factor that isn't determined by season is the indoor air pollution that can cause respiratory problems, because of the mold spores that enter the living space through the cracks and gaps in the walls and floors of the crawl space.
Don’t let your home's value go to waste. Make sure that you hire a professional! We at Grate Products™ can assure you fast and reliable service using only the highest quality materials and cutting-edge techniques to restore any damage that your home's crawl space may be suffering. We also offer moisture control, basement waterproofing, odor elimination and more.
For crawl space repairs in your home, contact us today!
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