High humidity in your crawl space can end up being devastating for your entire home. Without the proper crawl space solutions, you could end up with structural damage.
Basement Authority of West Virginia has the knowledge and experience needed to help homeowners in Charleston, Huntington, Morgantown, Wheeling, and surrounding areas with crawl space problems. Read on to learn more about how humidity affects your crawl space and how we can help.
What Causes Humidity in Your Crawl Space?
Excess humidity in your crawl space is a dangerous problem for this area under your house as well as the home as a whole. It can result from a number of things, but here are a few of the most common causes.
Open Crawl Space Vents
Many crawl spaces were built with open vents along their foundation walls. In the past, it was thought that the vents would allow any humidity below your crawl space to escape into the outside air. Unfortunately, this design ended up backfiring and causing the opposite effect. Open vents force your crawl space to experience the same weather as the outside. On a muggy, summer day, humidity levels are high outside. For that reason, the humidity will be high below your crawl space too. Even just a little exposure to humidity can create a chain reaction below your home, so open vents are a big problem.
Precipitation
When it rains or snows, water is absorbed into the soil. As the water is absorbed, it may permeate the ground below your crawl space. Eventually, this water evaporates and is trapped underneath your home. This trapped water vapor heats up your crawl space and causes humidity levels to rise. In turn, condensation forms on wood support beams and insulation which only leads to further damage in your crawl space foundation.
Leaking Pipes
Most of your home’s piping is located in your crawl space. If any of these pipes burst, massive amounts of water are drained into your crawl space. Much like precipitation, this water is absorbed into the soil and may even begin to puddle under your home. Over time, this water will have evaporated and the vapor will have nowhere to go. Once again, your crawl space experiences damage related to high humidity.
FAQs
Humidity in your crawl space is devastating for a number of reasons. Firstly, condensation forms across every surface below your home. These water droplets can cause wood to break down and could rust plumbing pipes or damage insulation. Next, humidity provides mold with the perfect environment to grow in. If mold grows below your crawl space it can eventually spread into your home and start growing in bathrooms, closets, or other dark and damp areas. Last, humidity leads to wood rot which can cause your floors to sag and walls to crack. Preventing humidity in your crawl space is the key to keeping your home safe.
Yes, humidity in your crawl space can make you spend more on your utility bills. Warm air always rises, and the humid air below your home is no exception. Eventually, the humidity will rise through your floor and spread throughout your home. This leads to your HVAC system working much harder to balance out the temperature in your home. If you’re noticing a steady rise in your utility bills, make sure to contact a professional to check your crawl space. Humidity is likely the culprit and controlling it will save you money in the long run.
In addition to reducing the excessive humidity and moisture in your crawl space, a dehumidifier can help enhance the quality of the air within your house. You might experience fewer allergic reactions or asthma attacks as well as cheaper energy costs if you install a crawl space dehumidifier. But remember that conventional dehumidifiers are no match for crawl space humidity, and we do not advise that you install a dehumidifier in your crawl space yourself. Contact Basement Authority of WV today to learn more with a free inspection and professional installation of a dehumidifier customized to your crawl space.
Explore Solutions
Basement Authority of West Virginia has professional solutions to keep your crawl space protected from humidity. Our crawl space encapsulation process includes vapor barriers, dehumidifiers, crawl space drains, and more to protect your crawl space from all forms of moisture. Explore more of our solutions here to see how you can keep your crawl space as safe as possible.
Basement Authority of West Virginia
Crawl Space Encapsulation
Good defense is the best offense when it comes to avoiding crawl space problems, and encapsulation provides the best protection against moisture in your crawl space.
Basement Authority of West Virginia
Vapor Barrier
Vapor barriers do exactly what their name suggests, they keep water vapor out of your crawl space. Without these important tools, your entire home is put at risk.
Call Basement Authority of West Virginia for a Free Inspection
Homeowners in West Virginia rely on their crawl space to keep their homes functioning properly. Keeping it protected from humidity and other forms of moisture is our commitment to homeowners in Charleston, Huntington, Morgantown, Wheeling, and surrounding areas. Since 2003, we’ve provided honest service to the residents of our great state. If you want to learn more about controlling humidity below your home, contact us today. We can set up a free inspection at your home to determine possible causes and come up with a plan to address the damage. Don’t let crawl space problems get worse!
