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Crawl Space Ventilation
Use of Crawl Space Vents, Vapor Barriers and Heat
Will Eliminate Crawl Space Moisture Problems
By: Mark J. Donovan
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Crawl spaces are frequently dark,
dank half cellars that are nothing more than breading grounds for mold,
mildew and decay. I bought a small camp years ago that had a dirt floor
crawl space. Crawling through it was a frightening experience on multiple
levels. Between the critter remains that littered the floor of the crawl
space, and the dripping insulation hanging from the floor joists, I could
barely stomach 5 minutes crawling through it. Shortly after owing the camp,
I wound up tearing it down and building a new one, partially due to the
effects of a home that had lacked an adequate crawl space ventilation
system. |
Much of the subfloor was rotted out,
and the home had a musty smell that I could not eliminate, all due to poor
crawl space ventilation and moisture issues.
If you own a home with a crawl
space, it is imperative that adequate crawl space ventilation be installed in
it to prevent the situation that I ran into. Most crawl spaces have small crawl
space vents installed in them, however they are usually inadequate. I have been
in numerous crawl spaces that had crawl space vents installed that dripped of
moisture.
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Crawl space ventilation not only
includes the installation of crawl space vents, but managing them properly.
Crawl space vents should be left open during warm, moist periods of the year to
allow high moisture levels in the crawl space to vent out. During cold, dry
periods of the year the crawl space vents should be closed to prevent cold air
from permeating the crawl space. This said, opening and closing crawl space
ventilation systems even twice a year, is too much of a pain for many
homeowners. A solution to this problem is the installation of powered crawl
space vents.
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| Powered crawl space vents have small fans that can
automatically turn on via a temperature/humidistat control sensor.
Though powered crawl space vent
systems offer an improved solution for crawl space ventilation, they do not
eliminate the moisture issues in a crawl space altogether. The installation
of a vapor retarder, a.k.a. vapor barrier, on the floor of the crawl space
can dramatically reduce moisture levels in the crawl space.
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When used in conjunction with a
powered crawl space vent system you can produce a quality crawl space
ventilation system that will protect your home from mold, mildew and rot.
An alternative to a crawl space
ventilation system is to create an unventilated crawl space. The advantage of
an unventilated crawl space is that the space can be used for storing items
that are susceptible to cold or hot temperatures.
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To create an unventilated crawl
space, you need to install a vapor barrier on the floor, as well as insulation
on the walls of the crawl space. Finally, you need to introduce some level of heat
into the crawl space.
| By introducing these three components into the crawl space,
crawl space ventilation becomes unneeded. An unventilated crawl space is
effectively employing the same functions/features that are implemented in a
standard basement, and thus like a basement, ventilation becomes
unnecessary. A basement has a vapor barrier installed under the basement
slab, insulation in the floor joist bays that are adjacent to the outside
walls, and a heating system. |
Photo by Mark Donovan |
Combined these components make for a
low moisture basement or crawl space without the need for venting.
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Crawl Space Information
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