Crawl space foundations are fairly common in the central Alabama area, and they offer an opportunity for savings.
The opportunity comes in encapsulating them – or using a polyurethane barrier to completely cover the space. Doing so brings a lot of advantages over leaving the crawl space open and uncovered.
How Encapsulation Works
A crawl space is usually open and vented. Air in the crawl space can flow into the home and vice-versa.
What crawl space encapsulation does is covers the space completely so that air can’t flow freely, and neither can moisture. A vapor barrier is placed on the ground, and the HVAC components are covered as well. Sealing tape is used to finish the covering.
Encapsulation can be done in conjunction with installing a dehumidifier to eliminate the remaining moisture in the space.
Advantages of Crawl Space Encapsulation
By encapsulating the crawl space, we’re looking to gain a few benefits. A properly completed project has a lot of advantages, such as:
- Better air quality inside the home
- Greatly reduced moisture, which protects your home’s floor and offers support
- More comfort in the winter and the summer
- Better longevity for your HVAC equipment
- More appeal against other homes when you are trying to sell yours
One of the biggest advantages that homeowners find attractive, however, is the fact that encapsulating your crawl space can save a good bit of money.
How? By encapsulating your crawl space, you can cut energy costs significantly – in some cases, by 20% or more.
Since air and moisture can’t flow freely from the crawl space into your home, your HVAC doesn’t have to work as hard to heat or cool your living space. This means less energy, which in turn means a lower energy bill.
If you’re interested in crawl space encapsulation, contact the foundation specialists at Southern Home.
