Ventilation is a good thing for your home, right? Usually, yes, but not when it comes to your crawl space. Decades ago, builders commonly outfitted crawl spaces with vents in an effort to keep moisture low. It’s now known that open vents can increase moisture, leading to rot, pest infestation, and other headaches.
Below, learn how open crawl space air vents could be damaging your home and how to fix the problem permanently.
Open Crawl Space Vents Can Cause Serious Trouble for Your Home
The biggest issue with crawl space vents is that they allow humid outdoor air inside. Once it’s in your crawl space, the humid air cools, causing condensation to form on the floor, support beams, and wiring.
Condensation seeps into your crawl space’s wooden structures, softening and slowly rotting them. If you smell mold in your house but can’t find the source, it might be lurking beneath your feet. Sagging floors are another telltale sign that something is amiss with your crawl space.
On top of mold problems, you might notice issues like these:
- Pest infestations: Damp environments are highly attractive to roaches, rats, and other destructive pests. Once these pests move into your home, it’s tough to send them packing.
- Bad air quality: Poor-quality air doesn’t just sit in your crawl space. Due to a phenomenon called the stack effect, it floats upward through your home, bringing mold spores and other nasties with it.
- High energy bills: Air conditioners work by removing humidity from the air. If humid air is constantly wafting through your home via the crawl space, your AC will run non-stop to keep up.
- Insulation damage: Crawl space insulation is a magnet for moisture. It holds that moisture like a sponge, making it perfect for mold growth. Rodents and insects love burrowing in damp insulation, too.
Vent Covers and Crawl Space Encapsulation Keep Mold and Pests at Bay
Should you get rid of your crawl space vents? Thanks to vent covers, you don’t have to. Vent covers allow for proper air circulation while keeping out moisture and aiding with pest prevention. Plastic vent covers are best because they’re waterproof.
For the ultimate moisture control and energy efficiency, pair your vent covers with crawl space encapsulation. Encapsulation involves covering exposed crawl space walls and floors with a thick plastic sheet called a vapor barrier. It’s one of the best humidity management solutions to keep your crawl space clean and dry.
If you have trouble with groundwater building up in your crawl space, our pros might recommend installing a sump pump and drain tile system. This system collects water in the crawl space and channels it outside.
Count on Our Pros To Safeguard Your Crawl Space
Struggling with moisture and pests coming in through your open crawl space air vents? Give Cooper’s Plumbing & Air a call. We’ll install encapsulation and vent covers to help you keep your crawl space clean and moisture-free.
To schedule crawl space encapsulation, call us at (866) 464-7132.