Crawl Space Humidity: Top Factors You Should Be Worried About

Crawl Space Humidity: Top Factors You Should Be Worried About

Are you experiencing crawl space humidity problems? You’re not alone. There are numerous people across the world who are struggling with the same problems as you are. Still, you need to do everything possible to address these problems before the situation escalates. This article looks at; crawl space humidity: top factors you should be worried about.

crawl space humidity

Can Crawl Space Humidity be too Low?

It’s possible albeit unachievable at least at the moment. Remember, you don’t want decay and mold growing in your home. You want to reduce the humidity level in your crawl space so much so that to discourage the growth of these substances. Experts opine, over-drying your crawl space is impossible but you could dry it so much to a point of affecting your floors negatively.

Perhaps you don’t know this but both new and existing buildings require some level of moisture to operate effectively. In the future, if you notice a change in behavior in already installed floors or in your home’s moisture levels, that could be an indication of imminent problems. This is where a crawl space dehumidification system becomes necessary.

One main reason why you may decide to install a dehumidifier in your crawl space is to reduce moisture in a bid to control fungal decay and mold. If your crawl space is infested with decay and mold, your floors will probably be fine. However, the mold could cause health-related problems while the decay will most likely result in structural damage. If you want to eradicate decay and mold from your home, all you need is to control moisture levels within your home.

What Humidity Level Encourages Mold Growth?

If there is 60% humidity in crawl space, it can encourage the growth of mold. The humidity or amount of water that the air in your crawl space can hold is determined by the air’s temperature. It’s worth noting that cold temperatures carry less moisture and as a homeowner, you need to beware of the state of your crawl space especially when the humidity level goes beyond the 60% mark.

How Can You Keep Humidity out of Your Crawl Space?

You can maintain a dry crawl space by adhering to the following guidelines.

Ensure Water doesn’t Penetrate the Crawl Space

Analyze the foundation of your crawl space to check for any cracks or gaps as these could be letting in water in your crawl space. If you notice any cracks, be sure to call in professionals immediately to prevent a more structural problem. If there are any leaks, establish the cause and make sure to insulate cold water pipes as well as repair the leaks. This will go a long way in preventing condensation.

Eradicate Puddles and any other Source of Moisture

Inspect your drainage, grading, and gutters to ensure that they’re not causing wetness in your crawl space.

Ensure the Crawl Space is Clean

You can either clean your crawl space on your own, or you may opt to hire a professional crawl space cleaning company for a thorough process. Whichever method you choose, you’ll need to: eradicate debris, replace your wet insulation, and clean all surfaces to remove mold.

One thing you may want to keep in mind is that mold is notorious and while you can clean it yourself, you may lack the ideal equipment to execute a thorough job. This is where a professional crawl space cleaner comes in, especially because there are numerous safety precautions to adopt before beginning the mold removing process.

Further, if your crawl space is infested by rodents, you’ll benefit more from hiring a professional cleaner. They will help you eradicate rodents once and for all.

What About Condensation?

Condensation means that the air in your crawl space has hit 100% relative humidity. You need to understand that in this case, the air is incapable of holding the moisture it’s trying to condense along the surface within the crawl space. Due to this, you’ll notice the organic materials within your crawl space becoming damp which as you already know by now causes mold growth.

When you notice mildew and mold growing in your crawl space, that’s the beginning of poor air quality in your home. If you or your loved ones suffer from allergy-related complications such as respiratory diseases and asthma, you will start experiencing health complications. To make matters worse, this can cause severe health complications if left unattended.

How Can You tell when Your Crawl Space Humidity has Hit Dangerous Levels

You don’t have to struggle with establishing the crawl space humidity in your home. Technology has continued to advance and there are various modern gadgets you can use. The hygrometer, for instance, is a modern gadget which you can use to calculate your crawl space humidity. Don’t be worried about the cost of these gadgets since you can access them at an affordable price. Remember, you’re trying to ensure that your crawl space humidity doesn’t rise above 70%.

Another gadget you can use is the thermo-hygrometer which helps you establish the humidity and temperature level in your crawl space. The good thing is that these gadgets are not only good for measuring crawl space humidity, but they also come in handy to help you monitor the environment in your crawl space. This way, you can plan early in advance to counter issues when they come. Did you know that whenever the weather fluctuates suddenly between day and night it affects your crawl space humidity levels?

You can easily regulate the temperatures in your crawl space by installing vapor barriers, and ensuring that your crawl space is appropriately insulated. Of course, this will result in minimal crawl space humidity fluctuations, which will give you a long term relieve from mildew, mold, and decay.

How Can You Control Your Crawl Space Humidity in Winter?

If you live in a winter prone area, you understand how wet the season can be. You need to have measures in place to keep your crawl space humidity within reasonable levels. They include:

Secure the Crawl Space

Does your home have air leaks? If you answered no, you should know that a recent study suggested that many homes have sufficient air leaks mainly found in corners, walls, and the foundation of your crawl space.

You may not be able to establish all the cracks and gaps in your crawl space but a professional company can. What you can do is hire a reputable crawl space cleaning service provider who is qualified enough to provide sealing services in a bid to bar air from penetrating the crawl space via the gaps. This helps you cut down the humidity in your crawl space.

Finally

In some cases, you may want to install a vapor barrier for ultimate crawl space humidity regulation. If you opt to install a dehumidifier, then be sure to hire a professional crawl space cleaning company to execute the task. The best thing about hiring a professional service provider is that they can recommend the best solution that fits your crawl space needs.

We've been serving the Puget Sound area for Attic & Crawl Space Cleaning for years. We would love to help you make your home healthy again.
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