The crawl space below your home is one of the most important but we generally do not consider it all. Moving around the crawl space can be really hard and you do not know what creepy crawly has made it its home. The air quality in the house can deteriorate if the crawl space is not maintained properly. The crawl space is there for a reason and you need to encapsulate it to not just improve air quality. There are many pros than cons and they are given below:
Pros of crawl space encapsulation:
Less moisture – Humidity can cause a lot of problems to a home. If there is humidity in the enclosed spaces such as the crawl space then the possibility of mold and mildew growing are very high. Even the chances of the fungal growth are high. When you encapsulate your crawl space moisture will dissipate and the chances of the growth of fungus or mold will reduce drastically.
Pest control – The crawl space is a place that pests love. Since pests like termites can cause severe damage, it is highly recommended to opt for crawl space encapsulation. There are companies like Triangle Radiant Barrier in Raleigh NC, where I reside, who do a great job. Pests will not be able to come inside your home with proper encapsulation.
Less energy bills – With proper encapsulation you get good insulation which means lesser use of air conditioning in summer and lesser use of the furnace in winters. Ergo, you save money because your energy bills will be lesser when you compare it with the earlier bills when you did not have encapsulation.
Lesser odors – Crawl space is among the top reasons for foul odors in a home. The growth of mold, mildew and the presence of pests like rodents in the crawl space can be the reason for the same. With proper crawl space encapsulation, the chances of foul odors minimizes considerably. If you still find a foul smell after encapsulation, it means that the contractors did not do a satisfactory job. If done perfectly you will never find foul odors emanating from the crawl space.
Storage – If you have a large crawl space, you can use it as a place for storage after you get the crawl space encapsulation done.
Cons of crawl space encapsulation:
High cost – The average cost of crawl space encapsulation is around $5000. Some look for cheaper options but paying the high cost is better in the long run because the house is yours, built with your hard earned money.
Other insulation – If you think that crawl space encapsulation is enough, you may find your contractor advising you to insulate the foundation wall which would be an additional burden on your finances. For the encapsulation to be fully effective you would need to insulate the home properly.
HVAC system – For the encapsulation to be effective you may need to spend on a new HVAC system.
