Home Improvement | Lower The Risks, Raise the Gains: Insulate ...

Studies have shown that repaired crawl spaces have important benefits for homeowners. Advantages are often overlooked simply because crawl spaces are often overlooked as a crucial part of a house.

By remedying a wet basement and restoring a crawl space with proper insulation and encapsulation you will see significant changes in your home.

Here are just a few advantages to encapsulating your crawl space:

Increased overall comfort. You'll gain extra square footage for storage, assured that items will stay dry and rust-free, clearing up living spaces and making them more usable for daily activities. You'll also notice that floors in the winter won't feel as cold and the house won't seem as muggy in the summer. Add this up and your family's lifestyle sees improvement without the need for major additions and remodeling.

Lower energy bills. A repaired, well-insulated crawl space increases energy efficiency while the opposite, an uninsulated and dirt floor crawl space, creates moisture and damp air throughout the house. That makes the air more difficult to heat and cool, forcing your HVAC systems to work harder and longer, waste energy and, as a result, waste your dollars.

Reduced health risks. Damp, dark musty crawl spaces are ideal environments for the growth of mold and mildew. The resulting mold spores feed on dirt, dry leaves, dust and other materials; since the natural air flow in a house is bottom to top, the air with mold spores combines with air in the upper parts of the house and is taken in by family members. Poor air quality can lead to various unhealthy symptoms including allergies, nasal and sinus conditions, respiratory issues, and skin and eye irritations. Contamination concerns from pests, termites, and rodents which inhabit dark, damp environments are another health risk.

A safer home. The foundation your house stands on is comprised of the walls that enclose the crawl space. If those walls are exposed to prolonged wet, damp conditions, the foundation walls may become compromised and structural damage occurs. This of course creates an unsafe house and could also incur failed home inspections. Moisture also causes hardwood floors to buckle, creating another safety hazard in the living areas.

Higher home value. A dry, clean safe crawl space signals value and secure investment in the future. It's an example of homeowners caring about their house, all of its spaces, not just the furnished and decorated living areas. That's a positive sign to prospective home buyers that they are looking at a well-cared for house, and becomes a strong selling feature. And because moisture problems have already been resolved, future expenses for buyers have been avoided.

In the final analysis, crawl spaces are simply another essential part of the home that require the same attention given to other areas, both interior and exterior. The impact and benefits of a dry, insulated and repaired crawl space will be felt for years to come by every homeowner. When your crawl space is working to its full potential, your home will finally be working together as one system.

About Author Tamika Hartman : SST Basement Systems is your local wet basement and crawl space repair company. They provide crawl space repair in Ontario, including Sault Ste. Marie, Kenora, and Thunder Bay, and other surrounding areas.

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Article Added on Thursday, April 5, 2012
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