Full crawl space encapsulation in Roosevelt

Challenge

One of Cowleys experienced home improvement crews installed a full crawl space encapsulation system for this homeowner in Roosevelt.  Unlike traditional vented crawl spaces, which funnel in hot humid outdoor air (not to mention providing ready access for insects and wildlife), encapsulated crawl spaces seal off the outdoor elements. As a result, building encapsulation is considered by building scientists to be far superior to the vented crawl spaces. Encapsulation saves homeowners from a variety of headaches and potentially expensive home repairs, and by inhibiting mold growth, it dramatically improves indoor air quality. 

This particular homeowner was not having the typical water intrusion problems that are so common with crawl spaces. However, during the summer, the built-up moisture was causing a pungent odor throughout the living spaces above, and she finally decided that it was time to resolve this problem for good. Crawl space encapsulation is important for a variety of reasons, even for homes whose crawl spaces manage to stay relatively dry. The reality is that even if you don’t see water in your space, ground soil is naturally saturated with water, which can lead to mold growth and other problems, including smelly air.

Solution

For this homeowner, our encapsulation team installed a variety of products. We put in  Basement System’s TerraBlock, which is a long-lasting foam insulation designed specifically for crawl space floors. TerraBlock has a built-in vapor barrier that blocks moisture from making its way up through first, stone, or concrete crawl space flooring. We also blocked the vents to close off outside air from entering the crawl space. 

In addition, we used 12-mil think “pinkie” rolls on all of the pillars, and installed Silverglo insulation on all of the exterior walls. SliverGlo is a lightweight, rigid, and closed-cell insulation that is much more efficient than over-the-counter bat and foam insulations. Its closed-cell structure provides minimal water absorption and low vapor permanence. Next, we rolled out our thick mold-resistant drainage matting and put in a CleanSpace vapor barrier. Our vapor barrier is much thicker and sturdier than a regular liner, and we mechanically fasten it to the walls. When, on occasion, you or a repair person need to access your crawl space, the barrier will not pull off or tear.

This homeowner was quite pleased with her new crawl space encapsulation. Although the main reason she had looked into encapsulation was the smelly crawl space air during the summer, once she understood its many advantages, she was glad to have it installed. Most homeowners don’t realize what problems are lurking down below, and crawl space encapsulation is a great for peace of mind. With encapsulation you don’t have to worry about water and moisture and the problems that they cause. Also, encapsulation goes a long way toward improving indoor air quality, which means so much for your family’s health.