Crawl Space Insulation And Indiana Cold Weather

As winter approaches, many Indiana homeowners start to consider ways to save money on energy and reduce heat loss. One of the best places for a homeowner to look at energy savings during the winter months is the crawl space, which then raises the question as to what is the proper way to insure your crawl space contributes to your homes energy savings and not the other way around.

To properly answer this question we must first understand a little bit more about Indiana crawl spaces in general. Most vented Indiana crawl spaces tend to be very wet, damp environments. The dirt floor of these crawl spaces also continuously has moisture escaping out of it and moving in an upward motion into the crawl space and up into the living areas (Stack Effect). Because of this, just simply installing fiberglass insulation in your crawl space without address any of the moisture issues can actually lead to more problems down the road and here's why. Fiberglass insulation installed in the crawl space between the floor joist will tend to act like a sponge for moisture that is escaping out of the dirt crawl space floor and working its way up through the house. This in turn allows the fiberglass insulation to absorb that moisture. Many times this makes the fiberglass insulation much heavier and runs the risk of falling out from between the floor joist and on the damp crawl space dirt floor. Fallen insulation in your crawl space can then become a problem for possible mold growth. The other, and sometimes more severe issue with fiberglass insulation holding moisture, is if the fiberglass insulation does not fall from between the floor joist. If the insulation remains installed between the floor joist and continues to hold moisture, then that moisture will eventually begin to effect the structural wood on the floor joist. Prolonged high moisture levels in the floor joist will eventually lead to costly issues such as mold growth or wood rot.

Because of these possible issues the real question becomes whether or not you should use fiberglass insulation in your Indiana crawl space at all? My answer to that would be a cautious yes, just as long as the homeowner has had the crawl space inspected for any excessive moisture issues that may effect the fiberglass insulation. If the crawl space is found to have issues with excessive moisture than the following solutions should be considered prior to any installation of fiberglass insulation in your crawl space.

1. Drainage/Sump Pump-If excessive moisture in your crawl space is being caused by standing water in your crawl space then the first step would be to install a proper sump basin and sump pump. Depending on the amount of standing water that the crawl space gets, a complete crawl space drainage system may need to be considered as well in order to keep the crawl space free of standing water permanently.

1. Vapor Barrier-Installing a proper vapor barrier across the entire dirt floor of your crawl space should be the first consideration when dealing with excessive crawl space moisture that is not being caused by standing water. A proper crawl space vapor barrier works by trapping the moisture escaping out of the dirt floor, keeping it from moving up into the crawl space and becoming absorbed by the fiberglass insulation.

2. Crawl Space Encapsulation System-Sometimes a vapor barrier alone may not reduce the moisture levels in your crawl space to an acceptable level. This tends to be the issue when there are other factors contributing to the excessive moisture other than just the dirt crawl space floor. These other factors can include foundation block seepage or excessive moisture being caused by outside air coming into the crawl space from the crawl space vents. If these other factors are playing a part in the excessive moisture issues of your crawl space then a complete crawl space encapsulation system may need to be considered. A crawl space encapsulation system works by sealing the crawl space off from all of the outside environments, which in turn creates a barrier from all areas that are contributing to the excessive moisture rather than just the dirt crawl space floor.

For more information about crawl space insulation or any other crawl space issue please click here or visit www.swaincollc.com

Indianapolis Crawl Space Water Problems?

Now is the time that many Indianapolis homeowners are forced to take notice of their crawl space. Spring time in Indiana can be great. The weather starts to get warmer and the snow is finally gone. But spring time in Indiana also brings with it heavy rains. And for those of us who live above a crawl space or basement in Indiana, heavy spring rains is not always a welcome surprise. The recent heavy amounts of rainfall that has taken place over central Indiana has had many homeowners on edge due to their crawl space or basement flooding. But it doesn't have to always be this way. Their are many steps a homeowner can take to limit the amount of water that enters their crawl space or basement. Some of the best steps to take include making sure your gutters remain clean and free of any debris. A clogged gutter system will allow water run off from your roof to dump over the gutters and right next to your homes foundation. This increases the likelihood of that water making its way into your crawl space or basement. Extending any downspouts away from your homes foundation can also go a long way in helping keep excessive water out of your crawl space and basement. But as many Indiana homeowners already know, sometimes these steps are just not enough to keep you crawl space or basement dry permanently. In those cases, an interior crawl space or basement drainage system along with a sump basin and sump pump would more than likely need to be installed. A properly installed drainage system around the inside perimeter of the crawl space or basement can give many Indiana homeowners piece of mind knowing they will maintain a dry, healthy crawl space or basement during these times of heavy rains. Additional benefits of these types of drainage systems include being able to have a usable space in your basement free of any water problems, a dryer and healthy living space above the crawl space and basement, and makes for a much easier selling process if indeed you ever decide to sale your home. At SwainCo. Crawl Space and Basement Repair we understand the headache that comes from living above a crawl space or basement in Indiana. We are central Indiana's most trusted crawl space repair contractor. Our crawl space and basement drainage systems will keep Indiana homeowners dry once and for all. If you think your crawl space or basement has a water problem or to find out more about how SwainCo. Crawl Space and Basement Repair can transform your wet crawl space or basement into a dry, healthy crawl space or basement than click here or call 317-407-1868.

Crawl Space Drainage Systems in Indianapolis

Wet Crawl Space in Indianapolis

Due to the large amount of water that the Indianapolis area has seen in the last few weeks, many crawlspaces in Indianapolis are experiencing water problems. A flooded crawl space can cause major issues for an Indianapolis homeowner. Water in your crawl space is the number one cause for crawl space mold, crawl space wood damage, and possible crawl space foundation failure. During heavy periods of rain, a crawl space will typically get water seeping in the foundation walls or coming up through the ground as the water table raises. A sump basin and sump pump alone will help keep standing water in your crawl space down but will not eliminate it completely. To ensure your crawl space stays dry permanently, a full perimeter drainage system needs to be installed. A full perimeter crawl space drainage system will greatly reduce the chance of crawl space problems such as crawl space mold and crawl space wood damage. If your crawl space gets standing water or your unsure if your crawl space gets wet, call SwainCo. at 317-294-5278 for a free inspection and estimate on how to keep your crawl space problem free permanently. Or visit www.swaincollc.com for more information on Indianapolis crawl space repairs.

A Clean and Healthy Crawl Space

Dirty, wet, moldy, dark, nasty, musty. These are words most Indiana homeowners would use to describe their crawl space and rightfully so. It's a place that most dare never to go or see. But your crawl space doesn't have to be described this way nor do you necessary want it described this way. Your crawl space is one of the most important parts of your home. A wet, moldy crawl space can lead to very serious problems. A dry, clean, and healthy crawl space is not only possible but it's also something you need to preserve the structurally integrity of your home. One of the best, most effective ways in doing this is to encapsulate your crawl space. A crawl space encapsulation system helps prevent moisture causing wood rot and mold growth. It also eliminates musty smells coming from your crawl space and can help reduce energy cost by 15%-30%.

To have your crawl space transformed into a safe and healthy crawl space for both your home and family schedule a free inspection today. For more information on crawl space encapsulation or any crawl space repair problems visit www.swaincollc.com or call 317-828-7897

Crawl Space Encapsulation in Indiana

Indiana crawl spaces are notorious for developing severe moisture problems that can go undetected until there is serious structural wood damage in the crawl space. Structural wood damage in the crawl space can be very expensive to repair. Also repairing structural wood damage in the crawl space can cause even more damage in the home above the crawl space. Too often home owners do not consider the crawl space an important part of the home structure and think of it as "out of sight, out of mind". The truth is that the crawl space is a place where many damaging and unhealthy problems originate. For example if there are mold problems in the living area or attic the problem most likely started with excessive moisture in the crawl space. Often times these problems are remediated without ever finding and correcting the true source. If the source is moisture laden air moving up through the house from the crawl space called (stack effect), the problem will return if the cause of excessive moisture in the crawl space is not permanently corrected. Standing water in the crawl space is a serious problem and should be eliminated by making sure gutters are clean, down spouts is extended away from the house, proper grade around the foundation and in some cases a crawl space drainage system. Although a crawl space that never has standing water can be just as destructive. High levels of moisture can occur from increased humidity entering the crawl space through the foundation vents in the summer. Remember the higher the temperature of the air the more moisture it can hold in the vapor form (humidity). When this moisture saturated air enters an area with cooler temperatures like a crawl space the moisture in the air will condensate and turn too physical water on surfaces that are cooler such as floor joist, sill plates, sub floors, middle beams and soil or vapor barriers. It is much like taking a cold glass of tea outside on a hot humid day and in seconds the exterior of the glass will form water on it. This is caused by the hot humid air hitting the cold glass and the moisture in the air condensates and turns to water. The crawl space should be considered just as important as any other part of the house. A permanently dry crawl space can save the home owner thousands of dollars by preventing structural damage and mold problems throughout the house and is healthier for those who reside in the home. Plus a permanently dry crawl space will create energy savings. Encapsulating a crawl space by sealing the ground, foundation, foundation vents and all other entries to the crawl space from outside air is the best way to protect the health of your home and everyone who lives in it. Encapsulation should be done with a 12mill nylon reinforced membrane along with a commercial grade dehumidifier/air purifier. A properly encapsulated crawl space will change the environment in the crawl space that will prevent mold and structural wood damage. Plus a properly encapsulated crawl space will save on average 25% on energy costs if the home has a full crawl space. For more information on crawl space encapsulation or to schedule a free crawl space inspection call 317-828-7897 or visit www.swaincollc.com