Crawl Space Repair Albany NY

Crawl space repair from Rapid Response Basement Solutions can fix a wet or musty smelling crawl space.  If you have a damp or foul smelling crawl space, consider that over 40% of the air that you breathe on the first floor of the home comes from the basement or crawl space. Because of this, crawl space repair and encapsulation is an important part of creating a healthy environment for your family.

Why is my Crawl Space Wet?

A crawl space is essentially a small basement. In homes with crawl spaces, the living area is so close to the crawl space that moisture and unsafe air infiltrate the home, causing potential health hazards. Here in the Northeast, we have a lot of crawl spaces. Most are vented because foundation vents were added to building codes decades ago. If you have a vented crawl space, especially in a humid climate, it likely has moisture problems. Here are the causes of wet crawl spaces:

• Plumbing Leaks
  The first thing you might consider when we talk about wet crawl spaces is that part of your house is a leak. Many plumbing pipes run through crawl spaces, and do occasionally leak. Because crawl spaces are visited infrequently, those leaks can go on for a long time before being discovered. This is especially true when a pipe leaks onto dirt or gravel rather than plastic.  Air conditioner condensate lines can be another source of leaks in a crawl space as those pipes often aren’t installed to the same level of quality as regular plumbing pipes. They also pass lower through the space, making them more susceptible to damage.
• Soil
  Another big source of crawl space moisture is uncovered soil. You may think the soil is not putting much moisture into the crawl space air because it looks so dry, however the uncovered soil appears dry is because it is constantly evaporating water into the crawl space air.  The good news is that vapor barriers can eliminate much of the moisture that comes from the soil.
• Foundation Walls
  Moisture can also come from the ground outside the house by migrating through the foundation walls. Vented crawl spaces rarely get any kind of damp-proofing or perimeter drains on the exterior. As a result, wet soil outside the crawl space can enter the area. Another way water gets up against the foundation walls is from a roof without gutters, downspouts that don’t move the water away from the house, or rain water in a yard that slopes toward the house.
• Foundation Vents in Crawl Space Walls
  Finally, we have the vents in the crawl space walls as a source of moisture. Although the idea behind those vents was to dry out the crawl space, they can actually do the opposite, especially in the summer. Here in the Northeast, we frequently experience water vapor, which raises the humidity in the crawl space.

A Wet Crawl Space Can Cause:

• Poor Air Quality
  About 40% of the air in your home seeps up through the crawl space, so if your crawl space has mold problems, your home’s air quality can be affected, which can have a negative impact on your family’s health.
• High Energy Bills
  Improperly insulated crawl spaces can allow a significant amount of heat to escape from your home resulting in high energy bills.
• Rodent Infestations
  Even dime sized holes can let critters inside your crawl space.
• Damaged Sub-Floor
  Moisture that accumulates consistently can easily seep through the ceiling of the crawl space and cause problems with your sub-flooring. This can begin to warp the home’s surface flooring and sub-flooring, which can be costly to repair.
• Compromised Foundation
  The wooden beams that hold up your home’s structure can be damaged by consistent exposure to high levels of moisture, condensation, or humidity and compromise the structure of your home.

How To Get a Dry Crawl Space?

If you have a wet crawl space and want it to be nice and dry, encapsulation from a basement contractor like Rapid Response Basement Solutions is the way to go. We can cover the ground, the foundation walls, and the crawl space vents to stop those three sources from wetting your crawl space. After your crawl space is encapsulated with a vapor barrier, you will have a crawl space that’s beautiful, dry, and your indoor air quality should improve. At Rapid Response Basement Solutions, we help our customers by resolving the problem quickly and efficiently with:

• Crawl Space Drainage Basement Systems
• Drainage Matting
• Crawl Space Vents
• Encapsulation Systems
• Crawl Space Dehumidification

Call (518) 227-0058 today or submit a request for quote to schedule a free in-home consultation for crawl space repair and encapsulation!

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