Crawlspace Encapsulation, Bedford, NH

Thursday, August 25th, 2022 by Travis Kellogg

Challenge

A homeowner in Bedford, New Hampshire, had concerns with mildew-like smells and moisture coming from their crawlspace. The homeowner was interested in options to insulate the crawlspace to make it more energy efficient. The homeowner would like to have the crawlspace encapsulated.

Our design specialist Victor Tapia examined the home and the crawlspace. Victor entered the crawlspace to take a look around and found that there was an odor of mildew and the presence of high moisture in the crawlspace.

The Stack Effect

Due to the stack effect, the air, along with the aromas in the air, in the crawlspace can be moved throughout the home causing the entire house to smell like something that is in the basement or crawlspace. The air can travel through an unsealed opening, chimneys, and other places where air can go through. The buoyancy of air causes it to want to go up or down in your home. The buoyancy of air depends on the temperature and moisture of the air. Remember the old saying hot air rises and cold air sinks? It is the same theory but it accounts for moisture as well.

Solution

Our installation team led by Melvin Hidalgo first started the project by cleaning out the crawlspace. After the team finished removing all debris from the crawlspace, the team began installing 320 sqft of Drainage Matting across the whole floor. The Drainage Matting will allow air and water to travel under the matting without disturbing the crawlspace. Next, the team installed 320 sqft of TerraBlock over the walls and the Drainage Matting to insulate the area. The TerraBlock will allow the crawlspace to hold heat better, making the space more efficient when heating and cooling the home. After the TerraBlock was installed, the team began to install CleanSpace into the crawlspace. The CleanSpace is first attached to the walls and then over the floors to fully encapsulate the crawlspace. After the CleanSpace was installed, the team installed the EverLast Door at the entrance of the crawlspace. The EverLast Door is the last step in encapsulating the crawlspace.

Melvin and his team were able to address the smell of mildew, the presence of moisture, and increase the efficiency in the crawlspace by installing Drainage Matting, TerraBlock, CleanSpace, and Everlast Door. With the crawlspace being insulated and encapsulated the stack effect will have less of an effect on the rest of the home. The air in the crawlspace won't carry as many odors and the air will regulate its temperature and humidity better than before.