Many people consider putting dehumidifiers in their home, but they’re also useful in your crawl space. This type of foundation is especially prone to moisture-related damage, as it’s often exposed to the outdoors. Dehumidifiers keep humid air from overtaking your crawl space and causing problem signs to arise. Basement Authority of West Virginia has the tools and experience to install your crawl space dehumidifier with efficiency.
How Crawl Space Dehumidifiers Work
- First, our team will recommend encapsulating your entire crawl space. This involves the use of a vapor barrier, drainage system, sump pump, vent covers, and dehumidifier to provide the best protection against moisture. One dehumidifier on its own, while helpful, is not enough to keep all forms of moisture out of your crawl space.
- Next, we’ll install all the encapsulation tools. When it comes to the dehumidifier specifically, it can be outfitted to link into your ducting, and our team links it to our crawl space drainage systems to ensure maximum dryness. Our dehumidifier is self-draining, so you don’t even have to go into your crawl space to regulate the system.
- Finally, don’t try to install a dehumidifier as a DIY project. Crawl spaces can be tricky to do work in, and one wrong move could end up causing even more damage or injury to yourself. Plus, any problems during the installation process only cost you money, as the problem comes back. Leave crawl space repair to the professionals to keep you and your home safe.
Why Our Crawl Space Dehumidifier Stands Out
- The self-draining mechanism makes the entire system hands-free for your convenience. Don’t worry about crawling below your home just to empty the dehumidifier.
- Our dehumidifier can remove up to 100 pints of water every day, and filter water from an area up to 280 cubic feet. Most store units only store between 25-75 pints a day and may not be self-draining.
- Worried about the dehumidifier making noise under your home? No problem, our dehumidifier is quiet – only getting to about 55 decibels, which is quieter than the average conversation.
Signs Your Home Needs a Crawl Space Dehumidifier
Mold
We’ve all seen mold on food, and we all know it indicates an unhealthy situation. No one wants mold in their crawl space for that reason, but it’s more common than you would think. That’s because mold thrives in humid environments. Unprotected crawl spaces tend to be exposed to humid outdoor air and water from precipitation, both of which contribute to rising humidity. Dehumidifiers make it difficult for mold to grow by removing water vapor entirely.
Humidity
This one is self-explanatory, but high humidity is a common occurrence in crawl spaces. First of all, open crawl space vents allow humid air from the outside to infiltrate the crawl space. Secondly, rainwater is absorbed into the soil below your home and eventually evaporates into your crawl space. Lastly, leaking pipes in your crawl space can also cause humidity to rise. With so many angles for water vapor to get into your crawl space, you can see why a dehumidifier is necessary.
High Energy Bills
Thermodynamics states that warm air always rises. This process happens in your home, especially with humid air in your crawl space. As it warms up, the humid air rises through the floorboards and spreads throughout your living space. Over time, your HVAC system will have to work harder to maintain temperatures and you’ll be spending more money on your electric bill.
FAQs
While you could purchase a dehumidifier from a store and install it below your home, it’s never going to perform as well as a professional option. Additionally, installing a dehumidifier wrong could end up costing you even more money. Investing in a professional solution is your best bet in defending your crawl space with an efficient dehumidifier.
Yes. Dehumidifiers provide all kinds of benefits for your crawl space and the entire home. We’ve already listed the major ones like protecting against wood rot, high energy bills, and mold. However, it offers even more benefits like preventing a sagging floor or making your crawl space unattractive to pests. Many animals are drawn to humid environments for their warmth, and crawl spaces provide cover against storms and predators. Dehumidifiers make the space less welcoming for these uninvited guests.
Keeping your crawl space humidity somewhere between 30 and 50 percent ensures that mold cannot grow and excess humidity can’t damage wooden structures. In fact, this is the recommended humidity level for almost every home in the United States. Keep in mind, you may want to slightly increase this number during the freezing winters in West Virginia.
Call Us for a Free Crawl Space Inspection
Humidity is the number one enemy to crawl spaces, which is why it’s so important to invest in a crawl space dehumidifier and other crawl space solutions. We’ve been helping homeowners in Charleston, Huntington, Morgantown, Wheeling, and surrounding areas with their crawl space issues since 2003. With our quality service, we’re able to help you too. Contact us today to learn more about crawl space encapsulation and schedule a free inspection with one of our specialists.
