Common Crawl Space Defects Found in Real Estate Transactions -

Challenge

A customer in Fairfax Station gave us a call regarding deficiencies found during a home inspection report for a home that they were going to purchase. Here are a few of the problems we commonly see in crawl spaces. If you are getting ready to sell your home, you would definitely want to correct these!

Solution

Problem #1: Dryer vents that exhaust into crawl spaces. When a dryer vent is routed and expels warm air into a crawl space, excessive humidity and often times mold are the result. Dryer vents always need to be vented to a space outside of the home.

Problem #2: Improperly ventilated crawl spaces. Sometimes, hard efforts to ventilate a crawl space can actually make the internal situation worse. If a crawl space is improperly ventilated, it can pull in hot, humid summer air that will eventually condense and create mold-growth conditions. This condensation also has adverse effects on the structure and integrity of fiberglass insulation. The insulation becomes heavily laden with moisture and can fall down. Finally, improper ventilation can lead to 'sweaty' duct work, as the humidity rests, cools, and collects on the cool metal components of the air distribution system in your crawl space.

Problem #3: Incorrect installation of insulation. If insulation is not installed properly, then it will not function correctly and will leave your house feeling uncomfortable. Something has trivial as installing it upside down can have negative effects on the efficiency and comfort of your home. 

Project Summary

Evaluator: John LeVan