Underneath a home or business, issues in a crawl space can lurk undetected for years. If the area is too moist, mold can start to form in the crawl space, posing a health hazard for residents and employees. Excess moisture can accelerate rot and erosion in wooden beams and floors, threatening the very foundation of the structure.
At Foundation Support Specialists, we frequently employ vapor barriers as a solution to excessively damp conditions in a crawl space. This method of encapsulation is an effective and long-lasting way to keep moisture controlled below your building.
How a Vapor Barrier Works
- Vapor Barriers are just one aspect of crawl space encapsulation, and arguably, the most important one. Our team firstly removes any debris from your crawl space to ensure that your vapor barrier does not rip. We also make sure the soil is regraded so that the vapor barrier can sit neatly on top of it.
- We attach the vapor barrier to supports, walls, and the floor of your crawl space with special adhesive. This adhesive ensures a secure attachment that won’t be broken by moisture or movement below your home.
- Once installed, the vapor barrier immediately begins defending your crawl space from outside moisture. Water vapor will no longer be able to penetrate any part of your crawl space, especially when the vapor barrier is used in conjunction with our other crawl space solutions such as dehumidifiers and vent covers.
What Makes Our Vapor Barrier Stand Out?
- 20-mil thick polyethylene plastic makes our vapor barrier stronger than store0bought brands and virtually immune to rips.
- Manufactured with anti-fungal properties to ensure mold and mildew cannot get into your crawl space at all.
- Comes with a 25-year warranty to ensure the security of your investment in case of an emergency.
Signs Your Crawl Space Needs a Vapor Barrier
High Humidity
High humidity is caused by excess water vapor in your crawl space. Humidity below your home can end up leading to other problem signs in your crawl space such as sagging floors, which only put your home’s structural integrity at risk. Using a vapor barrier mitigates the amount of humidity that is below your home and keeps your entire foundation protected from damage.
Wood Rot
Wood rot is a byproduct of too much water vapor in your crawl space. As the humid air penetrates the wooden support beams common to many crawl spaces, they begin to break down and become weak. Unfortunately, this puts your entire home at risk for collapse, as your house relies on support from your crawl space to stay standing. Vapor barriers make this a virtually impossible scenario and end up saving you money on repairs in the long run.
Mold
Mold needs humidity and organic material to survive. Vapor barriers make it impossible for mold to access either of these in your crawl space. Wood is a perfect organic material for mold to feed on, but a vapor barrier provides impenetrable protection for these wooden structures. Moreover, vapor barriers keep out humidity, so mold doesn’t even have a chance to form below your home. This helps your home in more ways than one by keeping air quality clean and preventing a mold infestation throughout your living space.
FAQs
Your home could experience damage in many different ways. You might not realize how much damage actually occurs in your crawl space because the area is naturally hidden. Homeowners tend to fall into a mindset that the status of their crawl space is separate from the status of their home for this reason. Unfortunately, damage in your crawl space can occur slowly and go unnoticed for years. Vapor barriers prevent damage from even occurring in the first place. If you don’t use one, you could deal with a mold infestation, walk around on a sagging floor, and end up paying for repairs.
We strongly advise against it. Vapor barriers are complicated to install, and without the proper tools or training, you could end up causing even more damage than before. First of all, crawl spaces can be difficult to navigate. One wrong move, and you could become seriously injured or your home could experience damage. Moreover, vapor barriers require perfect precision in order to work effectively. There can be no gaps or mishaps which might allow water vapor to get below your home, even if it’s a little bit. Lastly, store-bought vapor barriers are never as powerful as our professional solution. Let us help defend your crawl space for your safety.
Modern vapor barriers are usually made with polyethylene sheeting, a durable material that is impenetrable by moisture. Generally, this is the best material for a vapor barrier. Using other materials is often why other vapor barriers fail. You might see other vapor barriers made with elastomers, metallized film, or even metal sheets. Most contractors accept that polyethylene is the superior material.
Call FSS for a Free Inspection
With a business model that was built upon quality long-lasting foundation services, our company truly shines when it comes to our service. We believe in forming partnerships with each customer so that our service doesn’t end when the work is complete. Our technicians will follow up with you after your vapor barrier is installed to make sure that it is still functioning the way it should. If you had vapor barriers installed by a different company, we can still help by performing an inspection to determine their effectiveness. For your home or business’s crawl space encapsulation services, don’t hesitate to call FSS! To learn more about our company or vapor barriers, contact us today and schedule a free inspection.
