A healthy crawl space is essential for maintaining a healthy home that is energy-efficient and free of the harmful effects of excess moisture.
Installing a crawl space vapor barrier is one of the best ways to do this.
What is a Vapor Barrier?
What is a vapor barrier and what does a vapor barrier do? A vapor barrier is heavy plastic sheeting installed on the ground of your crawl space to prevent moisture penetration.
Heavy 6 mil plastic sheeting, called Visqueen, prevents moisture from entering your crawl space from the ground beneath your home.
NC building code also requires a 12-inch overlap of the seams in any vented crawl space for a tight fit.
The Role of Vapor Barriers in Crawl Spaces
- Installing a crawl space vapor barrier has many benefits.
- It reduces moisture in your crawl space by sealing it from moisture penetration from the ground beneath your home.
- Reducing excess moisture in your crawl space can stop mold growth, wood rot, and other issues related to excess water and humidity.
- It maintains your home’s structural integrity by keeping your wood joists free from rot and insulation from getting wet and compromised.
- Eliminating excess moisture in your crawl space also keeps it out of your home, leading to better energy efficiency by creating a more comfortable environment with lower heating and cooling bills.
- What does a vapor barrier do for your home’s air quality? It keeps it cleaner and healthier by eliminating allergens, dust, dirt, mold, and excess humidity.
Benefits of Installing a Vapor Barrier
What is a vapor barrier in a crawl space, and what are its benefits? We know a vapor barrier consists of heavy plastic sheeting with a 12-inch overlap, but why is it so important?
- Structural integrity: One crucial benefit is that it protects your home’s wood joists and subflooring from excess moisture, which can lead to wood rot, which can harm the structural integrity of your entire home.
- Safe indoor air quality: Excess moisture can promote mold growth, which has serious health consequences, especially for those who already suffer from respiratory issues. Mold, dust, and other allergens can create a deadly environment that can compromise the health of your entire family.
- Pest infestation: Pest infestation is another problem with far-reaching consequences, like damaging your crawl space’s structure. They can also enter your home, requiring further expense to exterminate rodents, termites, and other infestations.
- Energy efficiency: Excess moisture in your home and crawl space leads to higher humidity, which taxes your heating and cooling system and leads to higher energy bills. By eliminating excess humidity, your home becomes more energy efficient.
Problems related to a lack of a vapor barrier in your crawl space. If you see:
- Standing water in your crawl space
- Wet insulation
- Wood damage
- Damaged piers and joists
- Mold on your crawl space floor or joists
- Experience a musty smell
- Efflorescence, a white, powdery residue
- High humidity
- Poor indoor air quality
There are also signs in your home that you need to protect your crawl space, such as sagging or buckling floors, baseboard mildew, drywall cracks, pest infestation, an increase in your energy bills, and respiratory issues.
A proper vapor barrier and water management system can avoid these problems. If you don’t have adequate moisture control in your crawl space, it’s time to call a professional like Dry Otter Waterproofing for help.
How to Choose and Install a Vapor Barrier
If you have a dirt crawl space, consider the current moisture levels, soil type, and ventilation.
You need a thick vapor barrier if you see standing water or have clay soil that retains moisture.
Vented and unvented spaces have their own set of issues, with fluctuations in humidity in a vented space and no air management in an unvented space.
The health of your crawl space has wide-reaching consequences, so it’s critical to call in the professionals to get the job done right.
At Dry Otter Waterproofing, our process is simple:
- The area is cleaned, and the materials are prepared.
- We lay down the plastic with proper overlapping of seams.
- The barrier is then staked down around the edges.
Our professional process will keep your home safe, dry, and free from the harmful effects of excess water and humidity. A company you can trust!
