Moisture control in the crawl space of a home can be a major concern. Many homes have no problems and stay dry, however, a large number of homes can develop a moisture condition in the crawl space. In many homes, the crawl area may be dry during the Fall and Winter months but begin to develop moisture during late Spring and during the Summer when the exterior humidity levels rise. In many cases condensation can be observed on ducts, the vapor barrier and saturation of moisture can sometimes be observed on the surface of the substructural wood.
Controlling moisture build up in the crawl area can sometimes involve taking different measures. We offer the following services to help control moisture build up in the crawl area:
Vapor Barrier- installing a poly covering of the ground in the crawl space. This will keep ground moisture from evaporating out of the ground and being absorbed into the substructural wood.
Fungi Treatment with Borates- if the moisture content of the substructural wood rises above acceptable levels rot fungi will begin to grow on the wood. This will cause deterioration to the wood. Steps should be taken to reduce the moisture levels when this occurs. If active fungi growth is present on the wood a treatment of the wood with a borate should be applied to help retard the fungi growth until steps can be taken to reduce the moisture levels.
Dehumidification System- if excess condensation and high moisture levels are present it may be recommended to close the foundation vents and seal them from inside the crawl space and install a dehumidifier in the crawl space to remove the excess humidity from the crawl space.
If you have any questions regarding any of these services or are interested in obtaining an estimate please contact our office.