Four steps to fixing your dirt crawl space problem
You may not go down into your dirt crawl space, but that doesn’t mean it won’t affect you in any way. Reasons to tend to your dirt crawl space: heating and cooling bills, mold, allergies or asthma, even your resale value will be affected. Here’s an analogy for you: think of your house as your body, if a part of your body has a problem you tend to it right? Though you may not use that part of your body often, you still need it to operate correctly.
This article will inform you on the four steps to restoring your peace of mind, quality of life, and your property value.
Step #1 Fixing groundwater leakage (if any)
First and foremost, if your crawl space does not leak go to step two. Also, if you have no clue if your crawl space leaks, look for low places with pools of water. You see that, then this is where you start.
First, get a sump pump installed. Next, you’ll need a sump liner. The liner should be sturdy and have holes in it to allow water from the ground in and to be pumped out. Your pump and mechanical float switch is your next addition. A one way valve should be installed on the discharge line close to the pump. A discharge line is basically how you get the water out and away from your house. After that you’ll just need an alarm system on the sump pump and an airtight lid with a floor drain.
Step #2 Isolate your house from the Earth
There two approaches for this step: a concrete floor and a plastic liner. The good things about concrete is that it won’t be ruined when someone crawls on it and it’ll last, however, concrete doesn’t help water from the walls and floor find its way to drain and it doesn’t stop water vapor. These problems can be fixed I suppose, but it’s a lot of work to get concrete to work. Don’t worry there is a solution.
You can also put down a plastic liner, but this doesn’t last long nor will it stay in good shape when people crawl on it. CleanSpace is a solution though. Fixes the problem of staying in good shape when people crawl on it and it’s durable.
Step #3 Seal out outside air
This is a simple step. Get the vents in your crawl space sealed, airtight.
Step #4 Keep your crawl space dry
You need a dehumidifier to minimize humidity in the air from staying in your home.