Doing the Job of Crawl Space Encapsualtion
You will need a good pair of coveralls for everybody that works in thecrawl space. ALL pointed and organic and natural (wood, papers and so on.) physical objects need to come out. If there is at present old plastic material down there you may leave that and go over it with the new vapor barrier, but each and every thing else needs to come out. We have learned to place fiberglass insulating material in the floorboards joist cavity to keep the home comfortable, today having a conditioned crawl space this particular practice is actually absolutely no longer indorsed.
Conditioning the Space
Dry crawl spaces offer you a lesser number of obstacles than wet ones. But dry crawls possess their own problems as well, most often the dirt is hard and not comfortable to move all around on. The dirt and dust amounts are going to be quite high so a good respirator (not a dust face mask) is actually needed unless of course you want to cough up dust for a few days. For obvious reasons, it is not good for your own well being.
Many home owners report that there is not water in the crawl space and in never has been. The problem with this information is the actual homeowner looks down there two times a year or less. There is a lot that can happen within a few months that indicates water problems. This is actually not uncommon with regard to crawl spaces to be dry the majority of of the time but in the rainfall season crawl spaces get wet.
The object of conditioning your crawl space is to do it right and do it once. So don’t think because it does not have water in it now it has never experienced water. Presently there are some things you can easily look for to tell you when there is a water issue. Look on the wall space (generally at the base) for a whitened powder, it looks like sodium. This natural powder is lime that is used in the making of the actual block. If you observe it then you have water problems. Look to other indicators like water staining, moist block or areas within the crawl space that are usually muddy. The bottom line is, it will be easier and less expensive to put in a sump pump first than to have to go back again and do it right after your crawl space floods. If it makes it any simpler to decide you can think of a sump as a drain in situation a water line breaks or your washing machine overflows.
Installing a drain system
If you figure out that you do need or want a sump there are a few things to consider. The very first is exactly where is the lowest point within the crawl space and second where is the water going to once it simply leaves the actual crawl space.
Most frequently the water that will get into the crawl space comes from bad drainage or a bad grade. If you discharge the sump where the actual grade slopes back towards the house the water will come back again in
If your issue is bad drainage then you may want to seek advice from with a local water company. If you are considerate and stroke their vanity a little they will most likely give you some free guidance.
Crawl space ventilation is one of the critical parts of handling the crawl space moisture issue. This impacts the quality of the air in the particular home. This particular part associated with repairing the crawl space, you must get correct. The pure flow of air goes up in any home. Air is pulled upwards from the crawl space all through the whole house. Heat goes up and cold drops. The natural air flow, called the stock effect, will carry on in order to move the air inside the house to the roof.
The very best way in order to get the correct ventilation is through a conditioned crawl space. A conditioned crawl space gives you thoroughly clean dry crawl space, comfortable floors, reduced heating bills, and cleaner air .
To create a conditioned crawl space you need to get a source of air from the furnace delivered to to crawl space along with a return air. The heat within the crawl space then remains in the home. The heat coming out in the crawl space will head upward through the floors and rise to your ceilings. This simply leaves the home warmer and reduces the number of heating system cycles and consequently the furnace runs much less and the heat bills are significantly less.
In the summer months the efficiency works in the complete opposite. Since the crawl space is usually around 55 – 60 degrees the air conditioner will put cool air directly into the crawl space and then be pulled out from the space through the return. The air will generally be cooler. This will place less stress on the air conditioner and will certainly reduce the electrical expenses saving the house owner money during the summer also.
During the times of the year when the air conditioner and furnace does not operate, the crawl space won’t get any kind of air. Occasionally it is required to operate the furnace fan so it get air flow.
A dehumidifier also helps in order to condition the crawl space air. It will safeguard the space from high moisture in the two summer and winter and additionally give it extra air flow.
Crawl Space Access- Your access to your crawl space will certainly determine a number of things:
1. Comfort and ease in getting in as well as out (that you will be undertaking a whole lot of during the repair procedure)
2. Convenience or problems in getting the actual material directly into the crawl space
3. In the event that outside, the actual amount of dirt/mud which may end up on top of your vapor barrier following the install.
4. If inside, the actual amount of dirt/mud which will end up in your own house if not really properly protected.
Head Heights
Obviously this is a crucial factor in the convenience of the work
If the height is actually much less that 18″ your work will end up being very difficult if not impossible.
Be careful of heating ducts, they have razor-sharp edges. The lower the actual head height the more bodily challenging the work will be.
Health & Safety Safeguards
Put on a good quality respirator- this will certainly end up being uncomfortable but may safeguard your lungs from airborne dirt and dust, mold spores, fiberglass, and bacterial in the actual air.
Do not operate in standing water, It might end up being contaminated and make you sick or it might end up being an electrical shock hazard
Be careful not to over heat if the installation of in the summer time – Consume plenty of drinking water
Continue to keep a look out with regard to electrical wires lying upon the floor – In the event that they are uncovered then you may want to get in touch with an electrician.
Check the actual foundation to discover of there is a white colored powder on it, this indicates water issues. The whitened powder is efflorescence Not really Mold.
Check for big cracks or damaged places, you will need to repair this particular prior to you encapsulating the area.
Check the foundation for water, damp areas or moisture build-up or condensation; you may have to drill holes in order to release any kind of water. If this is existing you may need to set up a drain system.
Take a look all around the crawl space for water tanks, a furnace or other items that require to be worked around. If you take photos of these we can show you how to manage all of them.
Supports that hold up your house will require to be worked around with vapor barrier.
Wet insulation must come out there, this is the the majority of common reason fiberglass insulation drops from the crawl space ceiling. If you have an odor issue then the existing insulating material must come out in order to completely extinguish the problem
New insulation at the edge (or band) joist will help maintain your heating system expenses down as well as insure you have kicked out any kind of rodents living there.
Depending on your area and quantity of foundation wall above grade you might want to put in rigid insulating material on the foundation walls. Check your local building code for the accurate information on insulation in a crawl space in your own state.
To completely handle the moisture within the crawl space the vents Should be closed once and for all.
An 8″ x 16″ concrete block will certainly fit nicely into the vent hole. Use cement caulk to seal the actual edges of the block.
If that is not a good option, you can easily make use of rigid foam insulating material to seal the vent coming from the inside. CAUTION, Rodents and other animals can chew through the foam insulation, therefore only use this option of all else fails
Have you actually had water within your crawl space?
Unless you look within your crawl space at least two times a week, every week a person cannot be accurate in addressing this particular questing. It is actually less dangerous, simpler and less expensive to add a drain system Prior to the encapsulation. You do not want to find out there there is actually a problem once you have got a swimming pool after all of your own hard work
Take precise measurements, this in particular will help save you a monetary heart ache later on.
1. You will need the length of ALL the walls, not an estimate
2. You will need the height of all the walls or the height of the tallest wall
3. You will need to know how many supports there are and how far from the walls
4. You will need to know how many foundation vents you have
1. Respirator
2. Utility knife with many blades (10-25 on average)
3. Lights – 250 watt works well. 500 watt are very hot and can melt the vapor barrier.
4. Extension cords
5. 7/16 socket for sump basin lid
6. Hammer drill for the Foundation Pins- not a drill with a hammer feature, this is important so you do not damage your foundation and/or work harder than you need to.
7. Other companies say that mechanical fasteners are not needed – This information is WRONG. Every professional company uses a mechanical fastener, if this step could be skipped we would skip it ourselves
8. Small shovels
9. Small pick- for digging hard earth
10. Reciprocating saw- cut PVC for sump and cutting roots
11. Hammer – to tap in Foundation Pins™
12. PVC glue – Plumbing sump pump
13. Tape Measure
14. Small hand brooms – prepping walls for Foundation Seal Tape and clean up
15. Wire hangers or zip ties for cables or phone lines that hang down or touch the ground
16. Flashlight
17. Garbage Bags
It is very important that you get the right materials:
Vapor Barrier
PVC Pipe
Seam Tape
Foundation Tape
Foundation Pins
Dehumidifier
Perforated Pipe
Pea Pebbles
Sump Pump Kit
Circulation Fan
Radon Gas Mitigation
Door
Getting the Right Tools
Clip Light
Gloves
Knee Pads
Reciprocating Saw
Shovel
Pick
Knife
Electrical Cord
Ground Fault Interrupter
Respirator
Glasses
