Crawl Space Repair & Encapsulation
JES Foundation Repair installs lasting crawl space repair solutions that address sagging floors and damaged floor support systems.
Get Your Free EstimateCrawl Space Problem Signs
Crawl space problems come in many forms, and they make themselves known throughout your house in a variety of ways. If any of the below signs are familiar in your home, you may need crawl space encapsulation & repair.
Wet Crawl Space Insulation
Safeguard your home against the hazards of wet crawl space insulation with JES Foundation Repair's comprehensive services.
Sagging Floors
Sagging floors are a red flag for foundational concerns. JES Foundation Repair offers a solution with advanced crawl space support.
Mold in Crawl Space
Crawl space mold, often unseen, poses significant health risks. JES Foundation Repair offers specialized moisture control services.
Crawl Space Humidity
Crawl space humidity creates unhealthy conditions that affect your home and family. Learn the causes and how JES addresses them.
Sagging floors and unpleasant odors might seem like the norm to homeowners with a crawl space. But these common crawl space problems are far from normal.
The condition of your crawl space greatly influences the health and safety of your home overall. Problems that stem from moisture and excessive humidity include mold growth that can be dangerous for many people to breathe, as well as wood rot that compromises your home’s structural integrity.
These issues are serious, but they’re not beyond repair! JES Foundation Repair specializes in crawl space encapsulation that will protect your home for years to come.
Causes of Crawl Space Issues
Here's what's compromising your crawl space:
Open crawl space vents let in moisture, which creates the perfect environment for wood rot, mold, mildew and dust mites. Plus a vented dirt crawl space can also cause your energy bill to be nearly 20% higher!
Exposed dirt in your crawl space absorbs moisture open crawl space vents allow inside. As damp soil dries, it rises through your house, changing relative humidity inside your home, contributing to high energy bills.
Spring showers are great for your flowers & landscaping, but create problems for your crawl space. Extra moisture forces the soil to expand & press against your crawl space foundation, eventually causing cracks.
If your home doesn’t have a drainage system in place, then all the water that flows out of your gutters or roof will land near your foundation. That water forces the soil to expand & will push against your crawl space foundation, forcing water in & creating cracks.
Most of us think about the damage to the inside of our home when we find a plumbing leak. Those problems spread to your crawl space. Cracks in pipes or water lines leading to your home create a mess out of your lawn but can also harm your foundation, & create water damage in your crawl space.
Award-Winning Service
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On time efficient and complete . Would recommend to others who need that work.
On time efficient and complete . Would recommend to others who need that work.
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Jonathan Cooper was so well informed and willing to take all the time we needed to understand the best way to address our issues. I was…
Jonathan Cooper was so well informed and willing to take all the time we needed to understand the best way to address our issues. I was looking for options and he helped us understand all of our options and solutions. Extremely pleased with Jonathan and the company.
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I want to recognize Chris Jones with JES for providing one of the most thorough and professional home inspections I have ever experienced. …
I want to recognize Chris Jones with JES for providing one of the most thorough and professional home inspections I have ever experienced. I purchased my home in 2019, and since then I have been trying to solve a persistent HVAC-related problem. My home inspection identified the HVAC system as an area of concern, so I had it serviced, inspected, and cleaned before moving in. Despite that, the evaporator coils continued freezing. I hired one HVAC contractor, who found nothing wrong. When the problem persisted, I hired a second HVAC contractor after the coils froze again. I was again told everything appeared normal and was advised to keep the return vents clear and change the filter regularly. Over time, I also began noticing excessive humidity on the lower level after heavy rains, along with a mildew smell at the bottom of my stairs. The upper level remained cool and properly dehumidified, so I began to suspect the crawlspace. That's when I called JES and met Chris Jones. Before he even entered the crawlspace, Chris took the time to listen carefully to everything I had experienced over the years. He then invited me to accompany him during the inspection, explaining what he was seeing and educating me about the crawlspace as we went. Rather than rushing through the inspection, he methodically evaluated each area and answered my questions. The most significant findings were beneath the air handler. Chris discovered active moisture from a leaking return duct, a disconnected duct near the air handler with mold growth, and a dripping condensate line. These issues had gone undetected despite multiple previous HVAC inspections. What's even more impressive is that this was one of the tightest areas of the crawlspace—roughly 2½ to 3 feet high—yet Chris crawled into it, documented everything with photographs, and shared them with me. He didn't stop there. After I mentioned another area of concern, he willingly investigated it as well. Together we removed part of a wall covering and uncovered additional issues that otherwise would have remained hidden. At the end of the visit, Chris told me he wasn't sure JES would be able to help with all of the problems I had uncovered. What he didn't realize was that he already had. He found the root causes that I had been searching for since buying my home. Chris demonstrated something that is becoming increasingly difficult to find: integrity. He never tried to sell me something I didn't need. He simply performed an exceptionally thorough inspection, educated me throughout the process, and gave me the information I needed to finally understand what was happening in my home. Ironically, the most disappointing part of the experience was that I wasn't able to pay him for the level of expertise and effort he provided. I thought I was scheduling a crawlspace inspection, but what I received was one of the most valuable diagnostic inspections I've had in seven years. Thank you, Chris Jones. Your professionalism, persistence, and integrity are a tremendous asset to JES.
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This five star review is for Ethan Mooney, the JES repair person who recently helped us with our JES project. Over 6 months after having…
This five star review is for Ethan Mooney, the JES repair person who recently helped us with our JES project. Over 6 months after having JES complete installing a liner, dehumidifier and pump under our family room addition, we still noticed water. The service repair person, Ethan Mooney, recently came and found that the pump was never plugged in! Ethan was professional and not only fixed that easy problem but installed new equipment and inspected the liner. He was wonderful.
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Had Groundworks come back again to do more work. Brandon and Dustin did another awesome job.
Had Groundworks come back again to do more work. Brandon and Dustin did another awesome job.
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Matt grosse help me alot on my decision. He explains on everything and walk me through the process.
Matt grosse help me alot on my decision. He explains on everything and walk me through the process.
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Bryan ********** and Austin ***** were fantastic. They were great about explaining what AND why they were doing what they were doing. Very…
Bryan ********** and Austin ***** were fantastic. They were great about explaining what AND why they were doing what they were doing. Very professional and courteous and spent more time on the job than expected due to equipment problems. Instead of saying we'll come back some other time, they worked through it, went way past the scheduled time on site and got it done. I'm very appreciative of them and the job they did.
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I had an issue with what I thought was an awful leak behind my vanity. I called on Friday LATE afternoon, and the sweet receptionist Jorden …
I had an issue with what I thought was an awful leak behind my vanity. I called on Friday LATE afternoon, and the sweet receptionist Jorden was very empathetic and was able to get me seen within a day. Lee was AMAZING. He knew everything and was able to recreate the noises I heard and reassure this busy mom here that does nothing but worry that we didn't have an issue. He went into details over and over for me, and was so patient and so nice. I will never hire another company other than these guys. They gave me not only my peace of mind back, but they're the real deal, and very down to Earth. Incredible service!!!!
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We had an great experience with Blake from JES foundation repair. He Blake was very knowledgeable and took time to explain what was…
We had an great experience with Blake from JES foundation repair. He Blake was very knowledgeable and took time to explain what was happening to our crawl space. professionally explained why we were having issues and what it will take to fix the problem. Gave me a peace of mind that I had called the right company and he answered every question that I asked
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Scott was very professional and thorough in his inspection of our foundation inspection. He is very personable too.
Scott was very professional and thorough in his inspection of our foundation inspection. He is very personable too.
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Taylor Jeffries was very helpful and professional. His assessment of our home’s needs was thorough and concise. He answered all of our…
Taylor Jeffries was very helpful and professional. His assessment of our home’s needs was thorough and concise. He answered all of our questions and made our time feel valued.
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Superior Professionalism. It was a pleasure working with the crew from JES. Ty, the Forman who ran the job, was excellent in all aspects…
Superior Professionalism. It was a pleasure working with the crew from JES. Ty, the Forman who ran the job, was excellent in all aspects of the work preformed under my house. The foundation is now sound. Thank you Ty, Mo and Jason for all the effort in making this project an A+ effort. I highly recommend JES for all your foundation repairs.
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JES Foundation Repair is best in customer service, knowledge – they know what they're doing and need to do and got the beam in my…
JES Foundation Repair is best in customer service, knowledge – they know what they're doing and need to do and got the beam in my foundation replaced to my satisfaction with photos. Lee, the person I interacted with was excellent with service, inspection, quote and all around always called me back asap, worked on weekends, did everything he could to make this repair a 5 star experience. The crew, led by Seth, was polite, explained everything to me and got the job done. Highly recommend.
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Thank heaven for JES! Not only did they discover our sump pump had stopped working long ago, but they also recognized the work needed…
Thank heaven for JES! Not only did they discover our sump pump had stopped working long ago, but they also recognized the work needed would be beyond just swapping out a pump. The intake lines had clogged and the tank was filled to the brim with unspeakable creepy black gunk. Other companies estimates didn’t include full removal of the crud or clearing intake/outflow lines. Then Ben, the installer arrived. He was 120% professional, respectful, eager, and friendly…even when he found a dead frog floating on the surface of the goop! You can tell that Ben really loves his work. It was joyful to witness his tenacity in getting that tank completely clean even though it took twice as long as was probably expected. And then near the end of the job, when verifying the lines were clear, another frog appeared. This time the frog was alive. Undaunted, Ben rescued and removed it. Throughout the process Ben inspired confidence in the quality and thoroughness of the work to be performed. I would recommend JES from beginning of the estimate process, scheduling communications, through job complete.
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Joel from JES provided top-notch, speedy service to repair a broken pump in my basement and run a new pipe through a tight crawlspace and…
Joel from JES provided top-notch, speedy service to repair a broken pump in my basement and run a new pipe through a tight crawlspace and out of the side of the house. Was a really tricky job, but he got it done right and took the time to communicate with me what the plan was at every step of the process. Very professional approach and results.
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Our house was starting to make noises and I noticed drywall cracks. At first I assumed this was from my dinosaur footed stomping children…
Our house was starting to make noises and I noticed drywall cracks. At first I assumed this was from my dinosaur footed stomping children but these symptoms kept getting worse and so I decided it was time to start researching options. After a few google searches and reviews I reached out to JES and a few competitors. Mike Mele came out and sat with me and I explained to him what we were experiencing. He walked me around the house and showed me what was happening and where. He tested with a laser level and proved that the back side of our house was sinking and then we went into the crawl space. Mike inspected all of the support beams and showed me exactly where there was separation from the beams and how it was affecting the house. I was given a presentation of what JES could and would do. Mike explained to me that their system does not guarantee the house being level, but that the house would not sink any further. Price was fair compared to competitors, and after being offered a 3 year maintenance plan, I requested adding the 5 year maintenance plan instead. JES said they would contact me every 6 months to slowly adjust the jack beams as needed. Deposit paid, contract signed. Permitting took around a month or so. I have nothing nice to say about the county I live in. They are slow and as they are government entities, inherently and completely inept. I was put on the schedule after a few follow up emails between JES and myself. Install was hopefully a 2 day period, IF, the county finished inspections. Day 1 of install, our installer, foreman Abdul Kargbo came out and got to work. He was ready by the afternoon with intentions of the inspector coming the next day to confirm the footer digs were correct. Next day, a Friday the inspector never came, even though he was scheduled, and the crew sat all day and did nothing all day waiting for him to come. Tuesday, the inspector finally came, albeit late, and approved the footers and Tuesday Abdul and Roman came back to do the work. They worked well into the evening to finish the job. Abdul requested a review and I told him that once the final inspection was approved, I would give one. I IMMEDIATELY noticed a difference in the way the floors felt and sounded. Items that were prone to shaking in cabinets were no longer making noise. Floor creaks that were annoying, but that we had gotten used to were gone. The house felt far more sturdy. My kids incessant stomping no longer shook pictures on the wall. The next day I called Mike back to let him know how everything went and that I was happy. I asked him about the final inspection timeline. Mike asked for a review and I told him the same thing I told Abdul. Once final was approved I would do so. Here begins frustrations for us. I don't hold JES entirely responsible for this however because the county staffed with government workers, I think JES could have been more aggressive on our behalf with the county. I understand JES has a delicate relationship with the counties and have to balance customer expectations with the ability to continue to operate at the behest of the counties they operate within. The county claimed they didn't have an engineering letter. These are basically liability transfers that keep the county inspectors from putting their necks on the line, but still enable to to collect the money. Within the packet that was posted to my door were all the engineering packet that showed the math, plans and a letter with a certification stamp. We had to go back and forth with JES and the county ourselves to get this moving faster. I do not believe the county didn't have this letter, or at bare minimum have enough to approve the project. I do know the county is inept. County approved the project in spite of them saying they didn't have plans. Which were included in the packet taped to my door. Due to my disgust with government, JES still gets a 5 star, regardless of the frustrations we had to deal with. Thanks Mike, Abdul and all the JES crew. It was great working with you. See you in 6 months for the check up!
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Had some warranty work done. It was a little difficult getting a hold of someone to get anything scheduled. Fortunately Levi one of the…
Had some warranty work done. It was a little difficult getting a hold of someone to get anything scheduled. Fortunately Levi one of the operation managers reached out and it was smooth sailing from there. Cody Jones came out to do the work and I tell you what he did better than the person who came out to do the original work. Thanks Cody and Levi!
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Mr Abdul and his crew did a wonderful, professional, and thorough job and they cared for my belongings with great care!!!!!!
Mr Abdul and his crew did a wonderful, professional, and thorough job and they cared for my belongings with great care!!!!!!
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Super simple and helpful process to get my pump repaired. Corey Teubert helped us out a ton with getting our pump replaced. Really great…
Super simple and helpful process to get my pump repaired. Corey Teubert helped us out a ton with getting our pump replaced. Really great work!
Crawl Space Repair Solutions
Crawl space problems need the best repair and crawl space encapsulation solutions to solve them. Our crawl space systems come with long-term, nationally backed warranties and are proven to permanently protect your home. Below are some of the solutions your inspector might recommend.
Crawl Space Insulation
Proper crawl space insulation creates a healthy, energy-efficient home. Learn about our exclusive ExTremeBloc™ insulation panels.
Crawl Space Dehumidifier
Achieve optimal crawl space humidity control with JES Foundation Repair's expert crawl space dehumidifier installation.
Crawl Space Sump Pump
Keep your home dry with a reliable crawl space sump pump installation from JES Foundation Repair. Get your free quote today!
Crawl Space Vapor Barrier
Tired of a damp crawl space? Protect your home with JES's crawl space vapor barrier for effective moisture control and encapsulation.
Is Crawl Space Encapsulation the Right Solution for Me?
Homes in southern coastal areas like Hampton Roads and the Outer Banks typically have crawl spaces. Crawl spaces buffer the house from the ground, and they often contain essentials like plumbing pipes, ductwork, and HVAC equipment.
Since the mid-20th century, crawl spaces have been built with open vents and dirt floors which cause a lot of their problems. Moisture and pests can enter through them and damage your crawl space.
You don’t have to live with these crawl space problems. Our crawl space expert at JES help you create a safer, healthier living environment with permanent crawl space encapsulation solutions.
Call us today or fill out this form to get started!
FAQs
Humidity, unfortunately, is not a harmless visitor in your home. If you allow humidity to gather in your crawl space, then you may find yourself contending with unwanted damage in the days, weeks, and months to come. Humidity, after all, does more than make your space uncomfortable to live in. Unwanted moisture in the air can cause significant damage throughout the whole of your home, such as:
- Unpleasant smells
- Mold growths
- Warped door frames
- Damaged windowsills
- Sagging floors
- Rotting floor joists
- Wood rot
- Foundation sinkage
If you find yourself contending with crawl space humidity, you can reach out to a professional contractor in your area to schedule a home inspection. During a home inspection, you can find the source of a leak and determine how best you can resolve the damage done to your home. You can also discuss what waterproofing measures might help you protect your home from unwanted moisture after repairs have been completed.
The stack effect is a condition in a home describing the behavior of air based on its density. Air that is warmer has a less significant density than cooler air. As a result, warmer air tends to rise to the top of a home. However, if the air in your crawl space takes on an excessive amount of moisture, the density of the air can increase significantly. In most cases, you’d assume that’d mean air would remain in the bottom of your home. However, if the moisture from your crawl space starts to leak into the rest of your home, that dense air can spread, exposing all belongings and other structural supports to conditions that might result in damage.
There is no getting away from the stack effect, unfortunately. No matter what steps you take, the warmer air in your home will always rise to the top of your home. However, if you work to eliminate the excess moisture in your crawl space, you can prevent wood rot and other moisture-induced damage from appearing in the rest of your home. It is in your best interest to see what you can do to seal off the entirety of your crawl space. Even if you haven’t taken any preventative measures yet, you can keep the vents in your crawl space closed and blocked off while also making sure your crawl space door fits well in its frame.
Crawl space encapsulation is the process of sealing a crawl space with a durable vapor barrier and other moisture-control measures to help reduce humidity and water vapor. Depending on the home’s needs, encapsulation may also include sealing vents, insulating walls, and installing a dehumidifier to create a drier, healthier crawl space environment.
Crawl space encapsulations help you create a sealed area within your crawl space. In doing so, they make it easier for you to prevent unwanted humidity and, in turn, to deal with it accordingly. If something breaks the seal you have on your crawl space, you might find yourself contending with a spread of moisture throughout the rest of your home.
An ill-fitting crawl space door will let moisture into the rest of your home. You’ll want to work with the professionals in your area to first identify the source of moisture in your crawl space and fix it. With a leak fixed, you can then go about removing the rest of the unwanted moisture from the rest of your crawl space. Only once your space has dried out should you go about replacing your crawl space door and its frame. Once you’ve reached that point, you can make sure that the door fits well into its frame and benefits from another waterproofing measure you may have installed in your space.
Crawl space encapsulation can help lower energy costs by reducing moisture, outside air, and temperature transfer beneath the home. JES Foundation Repair uses solutions such as vapor barriers, dehumidifiers, drainage, sump pumps, and insulation panels to improve crawl space conditions and enhance energy efficiency.
On an aesthetic level, an unlined crawl space tends to smell unpleasant. These types of smells tend to arise as a result of precipitation and the unprotected dirt or materials you’ve left unlined in the space. The smells coming from your crawl space can rise up through your home along with unpleasant, moist air and permeate otherwise clean spaces. It can be extremely difficult to get rid of these smells, even if you make a point of clearing out the rest of your home. Leaving a crawl space unlined can also result in:
- Warped door frames
- Damaged windowsills
- The stack effect
- Sagging floors throughout your home
In short, by lining your crawl space, you protect that space from extensive damage. You can reach out to professional contractors in your area to determine what kind of crawl space lining might help you protect your space against the aforementioned problems. Note that not all linings are waterproof, but that you can invest in waterproof lining when you’re first installing the protective measure. Some other types of linings are merely aesthetic, but they can still provide tentative support in your fight against unwanted moisture.
That “musty smell” that many people think of as being indicative of a regularly functioning crawl space is actually not an intended crawl space feature. The musty crawl space smell actually occurs because of mold growth, which feeds off moisture to grow.
This is exactly why a “musty smell” should be a sign that you need to fix something. If your crawl space smells musty and stale, there’s something wrong. You can fix it and avoid potentially permanent damage from mold and moisture, but you have to take the first step. Don’t wait to check out your crawl space; there’s a decent chance that there’s something happening you can fix.
That “musty smell” that many people think of as being indicative of a regularly functioning crawl space is actually not an intended crawl space feature. The musty crawl space smell actually occurs because of mold growth, which feeds off moisture to grow.
This is exactly why a “musty smell” should be a sign that you need to fix something. If your crawl space smells musty and stale, there’s something wrong. You can fix it and avoid potentially permanent damage from mold and moisture, but you have to take the first step. Don’t wait to check out your crawl space; there’s a decent chance that there’s something happening you can fix.
Some people seem to think that fixing bouncy or sagging floors can be a DIY project that you may be able to fix with the addition of a brick or a stack of wood. However, you should always consult an expert if you’re experiencing issues with bouncy floors.
It’s true that this method of providing additional support, also called “sistering,” can be beneficial in some cases. However, this additional support will only last for a short period of time. If the floor joist is bouncy because it’s over-spanned or full of wood rot, you’re just putting a bandage over the problem rather than addressing it head-on.
Incorrectly supporting the floors can sometimes be worse than not supporting them at all. Cinder blocks can tip or crumble, which can damage your home when they fall. Jacking up floor joists very quickly can cause the floor to buckle and drywall cracks to form. Using any pieces of wood may just add fuel to the fire and allow mold and wood rot to spread.
Clearly, the only answer is to contact a crawl space expert to fix your bouncy floors. You want the job done right the first time, and the only way to do that is to contact a JES expert for help.
For a long time, people thought open crawl space vents were actually a benefit in a home. The idea was that crawl spaces needed ventilation because the ventilation would help “dry out” the crawl space. In fact, many building codes required ventilated crawl spaces, with minimal exceptions for unventilated crawl spaces.
Although this was a popular idea for many years, it doesn’t hold up to scrutiny nowadays. Because of the different temperatures of outside air and air in your home, open crawl space vents may actually increase the amount of humidity in your crawl space, rather than reducing it. Clearly, it’s not a good idea to leave your crawl space vents open.
The good thing is that there are many ways to return your crawl space to an encapsulated state. JES seals crawl space vents to avoid the entrance of water, moisture-laden air, or anything else into your crawl space.
Dehumidifiers can serve as effective waterproofing measures in your crawl space. Whether or not a dehumidifier can help you solve your crawl space problem, however, will depend on the extent of damage you’re seeing in your space. Dehumidifiers help pull moisture from the air and can run fairly consistently, as long as you cycle them regularly. If a contractor believes that the extent of your damage can be confined to high levels of humidity and not, for example, mold growths or standing water, dehumidifiers can help protect your space against immediate damage while also preventing a build-up of air pressure that might, later down the line, circulate moist air through the rest of your home.
However, note that dehumidifiers are not fix-all devices. If you’re contending with more significant moisture levels in your crawl space, it may be in your best interest to pair a dehumidifier with another set of waterproofing measures, like a vapor barrier, interior drainage system, and a sump pump. This way, the multiple waterproofing measures can support one another as they draw unwanted moisture out of your space.
Wet insulation will not do its job in your home, but it can also become a host for mold spores. You can again work with a professional to inspect your crawl space and reveal any insulation that might have suffered damage as a result of a leak. Should you find wet crawl space insulation, you may have to hire a professional to effectively remove it and replace it.
You can remove that moisture, dispose of it in accordance with your county’s regulations, and install new insulation material. We recommend rigid, waterproof panels called ExTremeBloc™ that also are treated to resist termites. Above all else, be sure to check over the space where your insulation used to be for signs of mold growth. You’ll want to do what you can to remove all such growth from your home before they have the opportunity to spread further.
Why Crawl Space Repair and Encapsulation Are Needed
Just as crawl space problems have a variety of impacts, crawl space repair and encapsulation offer your home and family countless benefits. Here are just a few of them:
Improves Energy Efficiency
Vented crawl spaces allow the unconditioned outside air inside your crawl space and home. This can make your floors feel cold during the winter and warm during the summer. Thus, you would be constantly fighting with your HVAC system to find a comfortable temperature. This not only strains your HVAC, but its constant operation can drive up utility bills. But with crawl space vent sealing, a vapor barrier, and a dehumidifier, your home will be more comfortable and energy-efficient.
Helps Deter Pests
Pests access crawl spaces through the soil, foundation cracks, and gaps caused by open or damaged vents and doors. They are attracted by the isolation, darkness, and moisture your unconditioned crawl space offers. But by deploying moisture control methods, you can decrease their interest in the space and make it more difficult for them to get inside. This can be done with vent sealing, a thick vapor barrier, rigid insulation panels (that are integrated with a termiticide), and an energy-efficient dehumidifier.
Offers Positive Impact from the Stack Effect
Nearly half of the air you breathe in your house comes from your crawl space. That is largely due to the stack effect, the natural movement of air throughout your home from bottom to top. This means that anything in your crawl space like mold spores, pest waste, and unpleasant odors also circulates elsewhere in your house. This is unhealthy and unsafe, especially for people with existing breathing conditions. But once your crawl space is properly encapsulated and dehumidified, the cleaner, conditioned air within this space is circulated.
Common Crawl Space Encapsulation & Repair Tips & Mistakes
We’ve seen pretty much everything during our 30 years as crawl space encapsulation experts. To equip you with knowledge and advice, here are some helpful dos and don’ts:
Tips to Consider:
- Clean Your Gutters and Downspouts: While crawl space encapsulation systems are internal, you also need to protect your crawl space from the outside. Your gutters and downspouts are your first line of defense against excess water around your home. Regularly inspect and maintain yours at least twice a year in the spring and fall. Check for any holes, remove clogs and debris, and ensure the downspouts and extensions drain away from the house.
- Correctly Grade Your Yard: Having a positively graded yard also prevents excess water from collecting near your crawl space. A yard with a positive grade slopes down and away from the house, draining water away from it.
- Add Backup Waterproofing Protection: Our region experiences a considerable amount of precipitation, and flooding is prevalent in coastal areas. Along with encapsulation solutions, having waterproofing measures, such as an interior drainage system and a sump pump, is critical. In the event of a power outage, be sure your crawl space sump pump has a battery backup pump to ensure continuous operation when you need it the most.
Mistakes to Avoid:
- Enter Your Crawl Space Without Proper Protection: Your crawl space may be full of mold, and it might even be caving in. We recommend you don’t go in there without proper protection. In fact, you should leave it to professionals if you haven’t been down there in a while and don’t know what to expect.
- Waste Money on Partial Solutions: When your crawl space needs repairs, it can be tempting to address them with quick, partial solutions. Pumping sand into the crawl space to try to sop up water, placing fans or conventional dehumidifiers inside to try to dry the air, and laying a thin, 6-mil vapor barrier liner on the crawl space floor—these are all partial solutions. And they can end up making crawl space problems worse.
- DIY Your Crawl Space: While it may be tempting to repair your own crawl space with solutions from big-box stores, most of those solutions simply won’t cut it and you may make crawl space issues worse. You may also be putting yourself at risk of exposure to mold and other hazards. Leave it to the pros!
Providing Expert Crawl Space Repair & Encapsulation in Virginia, Maryland, West Virginia & North Carolina
Pennsylvania trusts JES for reliable basement waterproofing, crawl space, foundation, and concrete repair services. Contact us for a free inspection!
Top Cities We Serve
Our Locations
8361 Town Center Ct
Nottingham, MD 21236
311 Central Rd.
Suite 2-02
Fredericksburg, VA 22401
2569 Quality Ct
Virginia Beach, VA 23454
7940 Gainsford Ct.
Bristow, VA 20136
309 Quarles Rd
Ashland, VA 23005
2033 Cook Dr.
Salem, VA 24153
456 Old Courthouse Rd
Appomattox, VA 24522