Crawl Space Encapsulation Solutions
Basement Masters Waterproofing offers a number of crawl space services designed to prevent moisture intrusion and damage, which will also improve your indoor air quality. About 50% of the indoor air you breathe inside your home originates from your crawl space. You can see why it is crucial to make sure the air you breathe is coming from a healthy source! So, a dirty and moldy crawl space means dirty and moldy air for you and your family.
With over 25 years of industry experience, we deliver the highest-quality services that are both convenient and cost-effective. Our reliable professionals go above and beyond to provide exceptional waterproofing solutions, making us the company to choose for crawl space encapsulation that Northern Virginia residents trust.
What is Crawl Space Encapsulation?
Simply put, crawl space encapsulation is a way of completely waterproofing your crawl space. The experienced professionals at Basement Masters Waterproofing use multiple waterproofing and moisture control methods including dehumidifiers, insulation, and vapor barrier installation.
At Basement Masters Waterproofing, we offer crawl space encapsulation to give you peace of mind that your home is protected against moisture intrusion and water damage. While a little bit of standing water may not seem like a big deal, when left untreated, it can create major structural and foundational issues.
With our multifaceted approach to crawl space encapsulation, you can be confident that our services will keep your home safe and dry from the bottom up!
Signs Your Crawl Space Needs Waterproofing
Have you recently seen evidence of pests living in your crawl space, or experienced a foul odor emanating from under your home? Do you have hardwood floors that have started cupping or buckling? “Yes” answers to questions like these can indicate that you need a professional crawl space encapsulation service to repair and renew your crawl space interior.
Below are some of the most common signs of a crawl space that is being negatively affected by moisture intrusion.
- Rotting Floor Joists: Water in your crawl space can pose some serious problems for your home’s structure, including deteriorating the wood with rot and creating attractive conditions for pests like termites and more.
- Standing Water: Dirt floor crawl spaces are commonly known to accumulate standing water. These puddles might seem like nothing to worry about, but they are not so harmless. Most crawl space issues are primarily caused by water, like mold growth, mildew growth, and rotting wood beams that are important for holding up the structure of your home.
- High Humidity Levels: Preventing mold growth relies on your ability to control the humidity levels in and below your home. The possibility of pest infestation and many other problems are also increased by high amounts of moisture. Additionally, due to the Stack Effect, your home’s air quality is directly correlated to crawl space humidity.
- High humidity environments are what fuels mold growth. This growth can overtake the space below your house until it begins to surface in your home! Mold in your living spaces can cause negative health effects for you and your family.
Benefits of Waterproofing Your Crawl Space
When properly installed, crawl space encapsulation achieves more than just protection from moisture intrusion and water damage. With the skills, experience, and resources our professionals have, you’ll enjoy an impressive number of benefits from our crawl space encapsulation services.
When you choose the experts at Basement Masters Waterproofing as your Northern Virginia crawl space encapsulation professionals, you can expect superior results and unparalleled customer service. The benefits you can expect from a crawl space encapsulation include:
- Control of Mold and Fungal Growth
- Prevention of Pest and Insect Infestations
- Improved Indoor Air Quality
- Added Insulation for Warmer Floors
- Low-Maintenance Protection
- Increased Energy Efficiency and Lower Energy Bills
- Strong and Stable Foundation for Higher Home Value
Request Additional Information for Your Northern Virginia Crawl Space Waterproofing Encapsulation Today
Ready to learn more about all the benefits you can expect when you choose Basement Masters Waterproofing as your Northern Virginia crawl space encapsulation? We’d love to tell you more about how our experts can improve your home, so reach out to us today. Give us a call, or take a moment to complete our online quote form to request your free, no-obligation project estimate.
A standard crawl space encapsulation job includes sealing off existing crawl space vents, grading the foundation soil to achieve a subtle slope, and installing an insulation and vapor barrier system. The system is designed this way because crawl spaces are vulnerable to intruding moisture, whether from the soil below or the foundation walls. Water will seep inside if it can, causing structural damage!
When the ventilation is poor and the grading is low, the problems can become even more compounded. Wet or damp wood, for example, will attract pests and encourage mold and mildew growth, eventually causing substantial foundation damage! Crawl Space Encapsulation prevents moisture from creating these problems by preventing it from penetrating your home. Encapsulation services can also help lower your energy bills by helping your home work more efficiently.
Radon is a radioactive gas and radon gas buildup can occur in any home. As uranium that is naturally found in almost all soils decays, the gas is formed. Usually traveling along the ground until it reaches the air overhead, entering your home by way of holes and cracks in your foundation. The radon gas will accumulate in your home where it is trapped. What this means is that both old and new homes that are sealed or windproof with basement or no basement foundations can trap radon gas. How much gas is trapped depends on the quality of any sealing or the home, including the crawl space!
If you are unsure whether or not your home has high levels of radon, testing for radon concentrations at least once a year is a good practice to do. Be careful, not all low test results may mean your home is safe from radon, since the level of radon gas can fluctuate over time! It is best to seek help from a water remediation and foundation repair expert for help with accurately determining the amount of radon gas your home is susceptible to.
Smelling an odor from your crawl space described as "cat pee" is a common problem from homeowners! The odor stems from the soil under the home, namely, the organic material inside of the soil as it decomposes. Heightened moisture levels (especially created by crawl space encapsulation) in the soil can compound the problem. This is because an encapsulated space reduces the soil's ability to evaporate the moisture up into your crawl space.
A high enough increase in moisture in the soil can reactivate microorganisms that had previously grown dormant. This process accelerates the breakdown even more, which means that a crawl space that has been previously encapsulated can now start to smell! Ammonia is released during this process, creating the smell that we associate with ammonia containing cat pee.
The most common cause of basement moisture intrusion is leaking water. Leaks can be repaired in a variety of ways. Not all solutions, however, will solve your problem! Depending on what company you might hire to do the job, the outcomes could either prove successful or disappointing. A bad result can cause you to need to start the process all over again.
Temporary solutions, like basement moisture absorbers, are generally used as a quick fix to simply alleviate the symptoms for a reduced amount of time. As the moisture is pulled out of the air by the absorbers, the damp will somewhat leave the air. The relief this brings only lasts so long and will leave you needing to replace the product again.
This means the dampness will inevitably return once the absorber is used up since the moisture is once again accumulating in the basement. Essentially, the source of the moisture intrusion will have to be corrected to prevent the it from returning.
