According to standard building code, homes are to be built with 1 foundation vent opening for every 150 square feet of crawl space.  These vents should be a minimum of 6 inches off the ground from the bottom of the vent and there should be one within 3 feet of each corner.  Is this true at your home?  Amazingly, many homes are built with fewer vents leaving little to no chance for true, natural ventilation.

 

Your crawl space could be L-shaped or U-shaped or maybe there is a lot of ductwork there.  And as our homes age, the plants and shrubbery around them become overgrown and block air flow through the vents.

 

We have what we have and that's when we have to make decisions.

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If the ductwork in your crawl is sweating because of the humid outside air here in Hampton Roads against the cold air blowing through it in the summer, first, check your HVAC system's efficiency.  There could be leakage, poor ductwork insulation or failing fan motors.  Nothing to lose here.  Your system will work better in most cases after a check-up.  But what if that isn't it and you still have high crawl moisture, especially in the summer?  It's humid here!

 

There are truly still crawl spaces where fans work well.  We have them in service and some houses do just fine.  But what if you're being told you have high moisture in your crawl and wood moisture content is rising above the danger mark of 20%?

 

It's time to look at other solutions and crawl space dehumidifiers have become popular.  They do work. But foundation companies have poured over into this arena, straying from actual "foundation repair" and decided that a dehumidified crawl space needs to have liners and foam board that cover foundation walls too!    Our threat of high water here is too great and flood insurance companies frown upon it.  This additional step and expense of covering foundation walls and wrapping piers came into our area with companies working in states that see deep freezes or have lots of basements. This isn't necessary and it isn't recommended in our area.

 

And what about termites?  Hampton Roads is in the number two region of the country for termites.  Cover your foundation walls with any kind of liners and you trap moisture there which also attracts termites that are already a threat.  Inspections for termites (or water intrusion) are impossible at best.  We can't even treat in the traditional fashion.

 

This avenue is nonsense.  Stop and think.  We offer many different solutions and will offer you one that suits your home and its specific needs.

 

We can help.