What You Can Do To Winterize Your Home's Crawl Space Or Basement

The Usual Cold Weather Culprits:

• Cold floors above the crawl space
• Cold drafts coming up from the crawl space
• Cold crawl space ductwork that cools the heated air from your furnace
• Frozen pipes due to inadequate insulation

There Are Many Options For Your Crawl Space

There are so many options for sealing your crawl space but you need to consider what the problem is because it might not be as big as you think it is, or it could be worse. For an inspection, you'll need a professional to give you their best opinion.

• Humidity in the crawl space can form condensation on cold surfaces, like ducts and pipes; this kind of problem leads to mold, rot and leaky ducts. When your basement or crawl space is being sealed, the humidity problem will be solved as well. If you aren't ready to completely seal your basement or crawl space, other options like dehumidifiers, fans and drainage systems are great alternate options.
• Open vents and wood crawl space doors that leak air will require covers like crawl space doors, which are maintenance free and crack-proof doors that will keep out moisture, pests and cold air.
• Flooding when it rains, snows or your home's discharge lines clog and the water backs up it detrimental to your foundation over time and your family's health. Even if you dry out the area after flooding, mold can still form from the smallest bit of moisture, which can cause allergies and other illness.

Encapsulation

The process of encapsulation uses a product called CleanSpace vapor barrier system to completely cover your crawl space, providing a tightly sealed, waterproof area. If your home has chronic water problems, then encapsulation will be the best option long-term. Homes that have these problems are usually older and already feature vents or doors that where originally put in place to prevent moisture problems. However, we now know that they create a problem by letting in more moisture than they let out, creating extra annoyances like mold and fungus as well. The vents and doors in the crawl space are sealed off in the encapsulation process to create a seamless barrier from the earth and outdoor climate.

Keeping Pipes From Freezing

Avoiding frozen pipes, cold floors and high heating costs are easy with the proper protection of IceGuard sump pump anti-freeze devices. When discharge lines get covered by snow and ice, the water is blocked from escaping. IceGuard allows water to escape through its unique perforations. This provides an exit when pipe terminations are blocked, which can cause your basement or crawl space to flood due to backup discharge. A sump pump valve will prevent water that's in the discharge line from entering the sump pump basin after the pump has been turned off. The entire system is automatic so, once it's installed, you don't have to do a thing.

If you’re looking for crawl space encapsulation experts in Stephens City, Cross Junction, and the surrounding areas, look no further than Fortress Foundation Solutions, the premier foundation repair and waterproofing professionals! Call us today at 1-434-473-7012 or contact us online for a free estimate!