Summer is Coming, Is your Crawl Space Ready?
With the summer on the horizon, it is time to make sure your house is ready for the transition! Just like the trees, our household chores change with the seasons. Typically when thinking about seasonal upkeep we think of raking leaves and blowing snow, but just as we must take care of the outside of our home, we also must look inside and make sure the interior of our homes are ready.
If your home is not prepared for the heat of the summer, it can make your living conditions very uncomfortable. While the heat of the summer often makes us turn to properly insulating our attic, it is important to look at your crawl spaces as well. Here are four different methods you can use to make sure your crawlspace is ready for the summer.
1. Dehumidifier
A dehumidifier is a common solution you see in basements, crawlspace, and even bedrooms. This takes the moisture directly out of the air by drawing it into the unit and cooling and condensing the vapor to collect in a drip pan like space. We use the SaniDry Sedona which is the world’s most efficient high-performance dehumidifier and filtration system. This product is conveniently small so it fits in all crawl spaces.
2. Sump Pump
A sump pump, like a dehumidifier, collects unwanted moisture in a designated space, but it also discards it. A sump pump is a popular option in a basement that struggles to stay dry, but it is also a viable option in your crawl space. 3 Pros have access to a variety of sump pumps that are crafted with the latest technology from the SuperSump Kit to the TripleSafe Sump Pump. A sump pump will keep your space safe and dry!
3. Insulation
While the other options deal with the humidity of the warmer months, insulation is a thermal insulator which handles the literal heat of the summer. If your crawl spaces are not properly insulated it can make for very uncomfortable living conditions, especially in the warmer months. Insulation controls the temperature in your home by creating a barrier between the conditioned air of your home and the natural temperature of the crawlspace. This will increase comfort and decrease electricity bills!
4. Vapor Barrier System
The ultimate moisture management solution is installing a vapor barrier system. This system will act as the first and only line of defense. Rather than collecting the water once it has entered the space like the other two moisture-related solutions, this system collects the water as it approaches the space so that it never interacts with crawl space. We use a line of CleanSpace products that encapsulates the entire space (walls, ducts, floors, entry points). This system not only blocks moisture from interfering with your home, but also the other things that come with humid spaces like mold, mildew, strange odors, and unwanted critters.
As you can see there are lots of options that expand within each of these four solutions and we can combine options too depending on what your home needs. As each of these solutions is unique, as are your homes, and that is why we offer free home custom audits so that our team can bring you the best solution for you. From Warrenton to Alexandria we have installed each of these systems, welcoming the summer in a cooler and dryer fashion.
Choose to live in cool comfort this summer, call us for your free estimate today.