A Green Solution for your North Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia Crawl Space

Crawl space vents are causing a housing epidemic all across Tennessee and North Carolina, including Johnson City, TN Since their first installation, crawl space vents have grown infamous for turning crawl spaces into rotting, moldy, and energy-inefficient spaces.  Unfortunately, they're often dismissed as a necessary evil in the home. This doesn't have to be!  Basement System's international network of professional crawl space waterproofers has a long-lasting and environmentally sensible solution that will save you money and repairs for many years to come. For a FREE estimate on a crawl space encapsulation, call or contact us online today! 

A Tennessee, Virginia, and North Carolina Crawl Space's Worst Enemies: Rot and Decay

The root of the problem plaguing traditional crawl space construction in Boone, Blowing Rock, Banner Elk, Linville, Lenoir, Taylorsville, and Sparta in North Carolina , and areas nearby, is your crawl space vents. Vented crawl spaces try to create a crosswind in the space, that causes air to circulate through.  The idea is that by doing so, you can naturally keep the space free of rot and humidity. However, due to the natural upwards movement of air in a home, crawl space air does not run horizontally through from one vent to the other.  Instead, it runs upwards!

This makes a lot of sense.  If crawl space vents worked the way they were designed to, then rot and humidity couldn't be the problem it is, right?

In addition, cold winter air can also circulate through a home in Tennessee and Virginia through these crawl space vents. The cold air pulled in will affect everything in the space, including water heaters, hot water pipes, furnaces, and heating ducts. These utilities will be forced to work harder just to do their daily work, and the added cold air cools the floorboards above, making an uncomfortable floor above. The end result is more money spent during the cold months.

During the humidity and heat of a summer in Jefferson, Elkin, Mount Air, Hudson, Roaring Gap, and King in NC, and many other areas in the high country, the problem is much worse. Instead of drying your crawlspace, the summer air that flows in adds an enormous amount of humidity. As this humid air enters the space, its temperature drops to about 50 degrees, and its relative humidity rises. This leads to condensation throughout the crawl space, including on wood, support beams, metal, and floorboards. As this condensation builds and saturates the area, it will lead to rot, mold, and higher risk of infestations of termites, ants, beetles, rodents, and other pests. This humid air creates a drain on air conditioners in the space, as humid air is much more difficult to condition than dry air.

Crawl space rot in North Carolina, Virginia, and Tennessee will quickly mean sagging floors, a compromised structure, foul odors, and mold allergens in the home. If the crawl space is allowed to decay to the point where the materials need to be replaced, the homeowner will have to find a contractor willing to repair it.  Finding a good contractor willing to crawl into a disgusting, unhealthy, and narrow space like a rotting crawl space is not easy.  Finding one who will rip out the rotting boards and replace them with new ones is no small task. The result is expensive, wasteful, and just not the best option.

Environmentally Friendly Crawl Spaces in NC, TN, & VA

With the current building practices, we now know that crawl spaces with vents will become rotting, moldy places that offer a continual drain on your utility bills. However, this does not need to be the case in your home. By sealing off your crawl space vents in Winston-Salem, Clemmons, Lewisville, Thomasville, Lexington, Walkertown, Yadkinville, NC, you can ensure a drier, longer-lasting, and more energy-efficient space.

Encapsulating the crawlspace in North Carolina. Virginia, and Tennessee with airtight crawl space doors and vent covers and lining the walls with a tough, durable crawl space vapor barrier is the answer. The moisture barrier will keep outside air and humidity out of the crawl space while also providing a passive barrier that will help keep out rodents, insects, and other unwanted pests.

The CleanSpace crawl space vapor barrier provided by Tar Heel Basement Systems of Valle Crucis, NC includes a 20-mil polyethylene liner that can block moisture from entering the crawl space and includes a 25-year warranty that ensures a dependable long life for the product. The liner has been designed with a white visible facing that's best for taking advantage of available lighting, and it's durable enough for the homeowner and servicemen to use without ripping or tearing the liner. An UltraFresh antimicrobial additive used when designing CleanSpace helps to keep the liner free of mold, and once installed, the CleanSpace encapsulation system even makes the crawl space a usable storage area!

To make the most out of your crawl space encapsulation in TN, VA & NC, including Johnson City, Tennessee, be sure to include an energy-efficient dehumidifier. This will help remove any moisture and humidity present in the air, wood, or other materials while protecting from any possible future humidity as well.

To help with your crawl space dehumidification, Tar Heel Basement Systems provides the SaniDry crawl space dehumidifier. This amazing machine combines the twin forces of Energy Star-rated dehumidification with the power of eight home models sold at hardware stores. This crawl space and basement dehumidifier includes a special air filter that will remove particles as small as 2 microns- small enough to remove pollen, mold spores, and dust mite waste from the air. With a convenient self-draining design, it requires very little upkeep or maintenance.

If you'd like to learn more about installing a green crawl space encapsulation in Tennessee, Virginia, or North Carolina, call or e-mail Tar Heel Basement Systems today. We can encapsulate your crawl space quickly and effectively- usually in less than a day. The end result will save you money, make your home more comfortable, add storage space, and help you avoid expensive repairs in the future. For a free estimate on a crawl space vapor barrier installation in Johnson City or anywhere else in eastern Tennessee, Southwest Virginia, and upper North Carolina, call or contact us today!