What is Crawl Space Encapsulation, and Do I Need It?

8/5/2021 (Permalink)

Did your home experience water damage? Call SERVPRO. This is just some of the equipment at our disposal to restore your home.

SERVPRO Techs can Extract, Dry and Repair Your Wilmington Crawl Space

If your Wilmington home did not get an encapsulated crawl space at the time of construction, there is a good chance that during the area's service life, water damage may be an issue. When ventilation is an issue or seepage occurs, the closed-in design of a crawl space creates the perfect environment for mold and dampness to affect the area of the home above with damage such as mold appearing from under floor tiles. When water loss signs appear, it is an excellent time to get your home professionally dried and get encapsulation.  

Can I Do My Water Removal in My Crawl Space? 

When the need for water removal occurs in your Wilmington property, it is best to bring in a professional restoration services company whether or not your crawl space is encapsulated. SERVPRO technicians have extensive training handling basement and crawl space water damage situations and avoid dealing with issues such as:

Water collecting on a raw, unfinished crawl space ground creating a muddy mess 

• Removal of both water and ambient humidity 
• Remediation of any mold growth found

How Does Encapsulation Avoid Water Issues?   

While the installation of crawl space encapsulation cannot protect your home 100% from a water damage situation, it can help diminish the potential. The encapsulation is a vapor barrier installed over the unfinished (usually dirt) crawl space. It assists in negating mold, dampness, and foul odors, which can create problems in the home above. There are different types of encapsulation methods to develop the needed vapor barrier, including:  

• Do-it-Yourself plastic sheeting placed over the floor usually has a limited service life  
• Professional encapsulation uses multi-layered, strength-reinforced polyester sheeting
• Installation of concrete flooring over the dirt

Getting the Water Out of a Crawl Space

When standing water or high-moisture conditions get established in a crawl space, they generally do not go away on their own and instead compound until mitigation of the problem happens. SERVPRO technicians remove the water using their professional equipment, including submersible pumps, if needed for water more significant than two inches in depth or the use of truck-mounted units. 

Careful measurements of the air within the crawl space get taken to determine the current interior humidity levels and goals get set. Although each job site is unique, the air moisture levels generally get set below 50%, as this is unsustainable for the germination of airborne spores and the growth of mold colonies.

Drying the crawlspace can present specific challenges due to the number of air movers and the dehumidification equipment's sheer size. SERVPRO technicians create custom tubing or venting as needed using plastic sheeting to direct the airflow as required for the best outcome. 

Bringing down the interior moisture in the Wilmington crawl space goes a long way towards eliminating the musty odors that can accompany this issue. Further proactive treatments include cleaning surfaces with professional-strength antimicrobial cleaning agents and sealants to inhibit any return of previously remediated mold problems.   

Whenever any residual odors remain behind after drying and cleaning, SERVPRO techs have numerous types of odor control methods to handle the smell. Scents can get divided into two basic types: caused by airborne particulate and caused by embedded particulate. Whether it is bacteria or mold spores, different kinds of methods get applied. For example, within a crawl space, drying the area may be affected. However, should odors penetrate the subfloor above, thermal fogging can get used to go into the wood and eliminate the odor at the molecular level. When the odorous particles are airborne, air scrubbers do an excellent job of capturing them. Hydroxyl generators are a safe way to eradicate airborne odors using UV rays to render them inert and zero chance of causing unpleasant scents in the future. 

Once the water damage mitigation efforts complete, SERVPRO techs go over the actions taken with the homeowner and provide a detailed report that includes any losses due to the water in the crawl space, including photos to assist with any insurance claims getting filed. If the homeowner wants, the techs can also offer advice on the best way to keep water from entering the home and connect them with a trusted partner to perform any needed repairs or encapsulation of the crawl space. 

Consider our services to install a sump pump and a permanent dehumidifier after the encapsulation completes. Indoor air conditions can be enhanced in the above living space when the crawl space moisture levels align with the norms for the geographic and climatic conditions.

When your crawl space needs water removal, contact SERVPRO of New Hanover at (910) 762-8180. The technicians have the experience and professional equipment to remove the water loss and return the area to its preloss condition.