Everything You Should Know About Heat Pumps

Crawl Space Encapsulation: What It Is And Why You Would Want To Do It

15 December 2015

Jessica Jimenez

When you hear the phrase, "crawl space encapsulation," you might envision a plastic bubble encasing and closing in around your crawl space. That is actually a pretty close image to what this procedure really is. You may also wonder why anyone would want their crawl spaces "encapsulated." To answer the questions of what this procedure is and why you would want it done to your crawl space, the following should help clarify things.

"Encapsulating" a Crawl Space--What It Is

You would be on target to envision plastic as the material for encapsulating a crawl space. However, it is not like the plastic hulls of pill capsules or space capsules. Instead an HVAC contractor or a mold remediation specialist comes out to your home with rolls of thick, tarp-like plastic. He or she rolls the plastic out to cover the dirt floor or cement floor of your crawl space and then cuts it to fit around any pylons that support a porch or part of your home. The encapsulation plastic is secured to the floor of your crawl space. Next, the contractor or specialist runs some of the encapsulation material up and around the pylons to protect them from moisture and water drips.

Why You Would Want to Encapsulate Your Crawl Space

Crawl spaces have a tendency to attract and withhold water and moisture (especially when they have dirt floors). Because the water and moisture does not evaporate or dissipate normally, it begins to cause organic material (e.g., dust, insect corpses, wood, etc.) to develop mold and mildew. That mold and mildew can spread into the rest of your house, creating a very unpleasant and expensive problem. If you have an HVAC contractor or mold remediation specialist encapsulate the crawl space, then he or she is effectively removing the potential for mold and mildew development and preventing the spread of the spores of these toxic organisms.

In addition to creating a protective barrier for your crawl space, the contractor or specialist is providing a drier, cleaner storage space for you. If you were reluctant to use this space for storage before, you may want to reconsider it after your crawl space has been encapsulated. If you also choose to level the dirt floor of your crawl space and install a concrete floor, it not only makes the encapsulation process easier, but it creates a more uniform storage space for anything you want to store there.

For more information and help, contact HVAC contractors, such as those at Atlantic Heating and Cooling.

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