Before constructing our house, we all get engaged in planning each and every aspect of our new home.
Our search ranges from furniture to kitchenware. In short, we leave no stone unturned in the quest of achieving perfection for our newly built residence.
However, as hard as we may try, errors are bound to happen and there are certain areas that we tend to overlook. Areas that lie beneath our feet, for example, crawlspace.
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What is Crawlspace?
Crawlspace is basically the vacant space between the ground and the base of your home. It is the area underneath the floor of your house but with the condition that there is empty space below.
Now not all houses have crawlspace. But it is beneficial to have one and this article will explore the reasons why you should consider contracting one for your home. Also, there are certain specifications for the crawlspace that should be followed. For instance, 1-1.5 meters is the upper limit of all crawlspaces in terms of height.
Anything bigger and you just constructed a basement. One has to be wary of these tiny details before initiating the formation of one.
Now let’s look into the reasons why you should have a crawlspace.
Cost Savings
Having your house at the ground would require you to move construction material to fabricate a slope for a concrete platform.
Moreover, it will be necessary to level this slope. Now doing so is a costly procedure which will drain a lot of your capital.
This will also result in valuable time being wasted, solving a problem that should not have existed in the first place.
Unparalleled Convenience
The biggest advantage that one can gain from having a crawl space is the endless convenience it offers.
Every household needs to have a solid electric supply. With a crawlspace, you can have all of the wiring sorted out and installed in the crawlspace, in an orderly manner.
Let’s say you are living in a region where weather is dry and temperatures are high. You will require a central air conditioning system.
Rather than drilling holes in your wall to install the wiring, you can have them all installed in the crawlspace.
Not only would that reduce the amount of breakdown of your house, it will also be extremely convenient to fix should something go wrong.
Extra Storage
Every single house requires a storage area to stack all the goods, be it related to construction or food.
While kitchen serves the purpose for food, you can have extra storage by utilising the crawlspace for non edible goods.
How can you say no to extra storage space which will allow you to have a cleaner outlook of your interior?
The Big Drawback of Crawlspace
So far, all seems good, so what is the problem here? As you would know, everything has its pros and cons, and a crawlspace is no different.
The basic working mechanism of crawlspace is by allowing transfer of air from the surroundings to the base of your home.
Although we just covered some of the biggest advantages of crawlspace, the one key drawback is, introduction of moisture into the base of your house.
This moisture can eat away the foundations of your house leading to a collapse. But fret not! This is easily avoidable if you go for crawlspace encapsulation.
What is Crawl Space Encapsulation?
The concept of crawlspace encapsulation is very simple. As evident from the name, you will install a durable thick barrier to the floor and walls of your crawl space.
If there are any openings, they will be covered as well. This barrier will serve as a fishing net for all the moisture, rendering it harmless by absorbing it.
Here are a few things you must be completely aware of when installing crawl space encapsulation.
Leave no Prisoners Behind
When going for crawlspace encapsulation, make sure that there are absolutely no places that you haven’t sealed. Each and every inch of space must be sealed.
There is no room for any errors. Any leakage in the integrity of sealing will result in the failure of the entire solution.
Dehumidifier Application
Once you have installed the material, you will need a specific device to regulate humidity.
Humidity is an ever changing entity highly dependent on weather which is not in our control. But within a closed vessel, this problem can be tackled by the installation of a dehumidifier. The dehumidifier will remove the excess humidity and continue to regulate and keep it check.
Look for Faults Within
When you are installing your encapsulation system, make sure there are no gaps within the walls and floors of the crawlspace.
A discontinuity in structural integrity will result in total failure. You must seal each and every hole and gap before installing this system. If an unsealed communication already exists, crawl space encapsulation will destined to fail.
Don’t be too Reliant
It would be particularly fatal to assume that the encapsulation would keep the water from entering the base of your house.
Crawlspace encapsulations are constructed to prevent humidity from accumulating within the space itself, it offers no protection against water.
Therefore, do not let water stagnate and form a puddle near the base of your house. Install a robust drainage system and make sure that there is absolutely zero accumulation of water.
Don’t be a Professional: Call a Professional
Being the master and know it all is a very common problem that all of us have. We all find do it yourself methods extremely interesting and substantially significant in regards to cost saving. But when it comes to installing crawlspace encapsulation, don’t do it.
This is a professional job, best left alone to the professionals. Paying a bit extra to safeguard your investment while also avoiding waste of time is the best possible plan of action no matter what you are doing.
Conclusion
Population is rising at an unprecedented rate and naturally, there is a need for new residence: a new home for new families.
Constructing a new house or renovating an old one is always an exciting prospect. Each aspect of house construction has its own significance, but we cannot save a single penny when it comes to bolstering the foundation of your house.
Elaborating the advantages of having a crawlspace and enlisting the steps you must carry out to reinforce your crawl space and making it fool-proof should make the decision very straightforward for you.
Do not take the easy way out. Invest on the pillars of your house today so that tomorrow you can have a structurally secure home.
