Glossary
Crawl Space Glossary
Encapsulation, efflorescence, sistering, dew point: the words crawl space people use, explained in plain English. Search or scroll.
- Air sealing
- Closing gaps and cracks so outside air and crawl space air cannot flow where they should not.
- Closed crawl space
- A crawl space with sealed vents, a covered floor and controlled humidity, treated as part of the home's conditioned space.
- Condensate
- The water a dehumidifier removes from the air, drained by gravity or a small pump.
- Dew point
- The temperature at which water vapor in the air turns into liquid on a surface.
- Efflorescence
- White, powdery mineral deposits left on masonry when water moves through and evaporates.
- Encapsulation
- Covering the soil and walls of a crawl space with a vapor barrier and sealing it to control moisture.
- Floor joist
- A horizontal board that carries the floor above and rests on the beam and the foundation.
- Girder
- The main beam under a house that carries the joists and the floor above.
- Interior drain
- A perforated pipe in gravel inside the foundation wall that collects water and sends it to a sump.
- Jack post
- An adjustable steel post that supports a beam or lifts a sagging floor.
- Moisture content
- The amount of water in wood, shown as a percentage of the wood's dry weight.
- Pier
- A column of block or concrete that holds up a beam in a crawl space.
- Relative humidity
- How much moisture the air holds compared with the most it could hold at that temperature.
- Rim joist
- The board that runs around the outside of the floor frame, on top of the foundation wall.
- Sistering
- Fastening a new board alongside a weak joist so the two work together.
- Stack effect
- Warm air rising in a house and pulling air up from below, including from the crawl space.
- Sump pump
- A pump in a basin that removes water that collects below the floor.
- Vapor barrier
- A thick plastic liner that stops water vapor from rising out of the soil.
- Vapor retarder
- A material that slows the movement of water vapor through a wall or floor.
- Wood decay
- Rot caused by fungi that feed on wood that stays wet for long periods.
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