Damp Crawlspace Got You Down?
Have you ever wondered what it is that can make a house smell damp and musty? Or why you keep seeing moisture down in your dark and dirty crawlspace?
Even if you haven’t noticed any excess humidity above your floorboards in your living space, a damp crawlspace can have many negative effects on your Nashville area home. When it comes to increasing the comfort, health, and efficiency of your house, the first place the experts at E3 INNOVATE are going to look is the crawlspace.
The Symptoms of a Damp Crawlspace
Moisture in your crawlspace or basement can (and will) make its way to the rest of your home via cracks, leaks, and gaps in your building envelope, as well as through your ductwork and heating and cooling system. Symptoms indicating you have a moisture problem can include:
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Warping hardwood floors or other flooring material
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Mold and mildew growth
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Musty smells
This is why “controlling the crawlspace” is ground zero when it comes to curbing the symptoms of mold in your house, preventing water damage, and getting rid of that tired old smell. Here at E3, we like to call it giving your house a good pair of rain boots!
How to Control the Crawlspace
In order to take control, we need to change this area of your home from an unconditioned to a semi-conditioned space, and prevent any and all leakage that is occurring. Installing a continuous vapor barrier in the crawlspace, and sealing up any additional leaks, is a common first step. The vapor barrier prevents moisture from the soil from migrating up into the crawlspace and also acts as an important part of a radon mitigation system.
From there, we want to insulate and air seal any ductwork and plumbing that runs underneath your home, so that moisture is not allowed to infiltrate the air that flows through your heating and cooling system. This comprehensive approach not only keeps moisture from seeping into the rest of your home (preventing mold growth and the health problems that come with mold exposure), but it also gives your furnace and air conditioner a head start when it comes to keeping all of the areas at your home a consistent and comfortable temperature, while increasing your indoor air quality.
Nashville’s Crawlspace and Moisture Experts
If you’ve been frustrated with your crawlspace and wondering if insulating it will help with high humidity in your home, the building science experts at E3 INNOVATE are here to help. Insulation is one part of the equation, but if you really want to take care of your moisture issues once and for all, we are here to help you find a comprehensive crawlspace course of action!
Through our whole home inspection, also called an energy audit, we can diagnose exactly what it will take to control your crawlspace, and then provide you with a customized plan to increase the health and comfort of your Nashville home.