Why Crawl Space Vents Don't Work
One question we get all the time is “Shouldn’t my crawl space be vented?”
When builders started venting crawl spaces, the idea was to open the vents in the summer to keep out hot humid air and close them in the winter to keep our floors warm. It was a good thought, but it never worked that way.
What’s really happening is in the summer, is vents allow hot humid air into your crawl space which is slightly cooler than the outside air. As the outside humid air builds up in your crawl space it comes in contact with the cooler surfaces and begins to condensate.
Several things happen when moisture builds up in your crawl space
1. Insulation becomes saturated, begins to sag and fall, holding moisture against the floor joists.
2. Mold begins to grow on organic materials at 60% relative humidity.
3. Floor joists begin to rot at 19% moisture content.
4. An ideal environment is created for insects, critters, snakes, and termites.
Crawl Space vents just don’t offer enough airflow to be effective in keeping your crawl space dry. You’re noticing high humidity in your home, smelling musty odors, you have cold floors, and high energy bills.
In the winter, closed vents aren’t airtight, and since your insulation is falling from all the moisture it’s collected in the summer, it isn’t against your floors. Fiberglass is only effective in an airtight cavity and is against the surface it is insulating. Now, your floors are cold, your home is drafty, and you’re running your heat constantly to try and warm up. The mold in your crawl space has gone dormant, since there isn’t enough humidity to sustain it, but as it dries, it flakes and becomes airborne, pulled up into your conditioned space. Now all the things growing in your crawl space, are affecting the indoor air quality of your home.
Properly sealing and conditioning your crawl space controls the relative humidity in your crawl space protecting it from insects, critters, mold, and wood rot, and protects you from cold floors, poor indoor air quality, and high energy bills.
Visit us at The Drying Co DOT Com or Call us to schedule your free crawl space inspection and estimate.
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