Wet Crawlspace Insulation
If you are a homeowner, the first thought that comes to mind when you have wet crawlspace insulation is, "But I don't ever go down there! Why does it matter if I have my damp crawlspace fixed or not?"
That's a very good question. For Safe Basements, the answer is rather simple and we can't stress enough how important it is for you to take care of your wet crawlspace problems ASAP. While you probably don't ever really give much thought to your your crawlspace, and you might not think it matters that you have wet crawlspace insulation, it really DOES matter. If you have crawlspace moisture, it needs to be fixed immediately before it starts to compromise the structural integrity of your entire home -- your biggest investment!
Why is My Crawlspace Insulation Wet?
A lot of homeowners come to us asking, "Why is my crawlspace insulation wet?" The answer is rather straightforward. Water can get into your crawlspace in a few different ways:
- Through the soil (or concrete slabs) around your residence
- From a plumbing pipe leak
- Through the air coming into your crawlspace vents
Whether this moisture enters as humidity or all at once in a rain storm, wet crawlspace insulation can be a severe problem for your home. Moisture easily collects in any material that is organic - including wood floorboards, support beams, floor joists, and some types of crawlspace insulation. As the insulation and wood start to swell and warp due to moisture and humidity, the results are:
- Mold growth
- Wood rot
- Mildew growth
- Bacteria growth
- Infestation of dust mites
What you have underneath your home is no longer a crawlspace. It becomes a habitat for unwanted critters and mold/mildew. The area is filled with humidity, mold/mildew spores, dust mites, termites, mice, snakes, and a number of other pests. All too soon, rodents and other vermin will take up residence in this humid and wet area beneath your home. There's nothing more attractive to a termite colony than wet and rotting wood materials, so get your crawlspace problems fixed right away! Call 888-963-6892 now.
Getting Rid of Crawlspace Moisture
Ignore the scary monster (aka your wet crawlspace) lurking beneath your home while you can, but remember that even before your rotting crawlspace wood materials and support beams are severely damaged, your home is already being affected. Warm air in your house exits the home through the upper levels, and crawlspace air is sucked up into your home. As this humid air is pulled up, nothing is protecting your home from the humidity, mold spores, dust mite waste, and bad/musty smells coming up along with it. In the summer time, your air conditioner will be working extra hard to get rid of this humidity. During the winter months, cold air vented into your home will hammer away at anything it can get to- including your water heater, heating ducts, and plumbing pipes.
With a vented crawl space, insulation is necessary but you also need proper crawlspace waterproofing. If you don't have any crawlspace insulation, then there's no line of defense to protect the area underneath your home from humid summer air and cold winter air. If you do have crawlspace insulation, then moisture and mold can begin to saturate the material if there isn't any moisture control system in place.
The first step to solving a crawlspace moisture problem is to permanently get rid of any standing water problems. Left inside your home, it will begin to add humidity to your whole home, encourage mold and mildew, and bring unwanted critters into the area while it stagnates. It simply must go!
If your crawlspace has pools of stagnant water, a sump pump system may be ideal for you. Water will be able to be directed into the sump pump through a drainage system.
Please call us at 888-963-6892 right now to let us help you get your crawlspace moisture problem solved once and for all.
