How Long Will Your Crawl Space Encapsulation Last?

The functions of crawl spaces are many in the house. They house the plumbing, irrigation system, electrical, gas lines, and HVAC. According to NAHB analysis of the Survey of Construction (SOC), at least 12% of the single-family houses built in 2020 had crawl spaces, and the number keeps increasing.

A high number of homes that have crawl spaces with open vents are usually plagued by mold and mildew, and many other moisture-related problems. With these issues, the durability and efficiency of your HVAC system are affected. Also, you may end up spending a lot of money on crawl space repair due to water damage.

To prevent these problems, it is recommended that you do a crawl space encapsulation. This could raise questions in your mind such as “what does crawl space encapsulation mean? Is it worth it to upgrade your crawl space with encapsulation? How do you go about the whole process? How long will your crawl space encapsulation last?”.

In this article, we give answers to the many questions in your mind. Visit montgomeryfoundationrepairpros.com for additional information and resources.

What is Crawl Space Encapsulation?
Crawl space encapsulation is the process of lining your crawl space with a heavy-duty moisture barrier such as polyethylene. This moisture barrier is used to cover and seal the floor, insulated walls, sealed foundation vents, and the dehumidifier. This process is most effective when the entire space is sealed completely. Once the entire space has been encapsulated, the moisture levels of the space can be controlled with the help of a dehumidifier.

Why Encapsulate Crawl Spaces?
It is important to ensure that your crawlspace is kept as clean and dry as possible because up to half of the air flowing through your home can come from your crawl space. It is a usual and widely accepted practice to add a dehumidifier and a crawl space vapor barrier as means to enhance the quality of air in your home. This also improves the energy inside your home.

Sometimes, water vapor from the ground or concrete seeps into the crawl space. To prevent this from happening, homeowners use crawl space encapsulation.

Benefits of crawl space encapsulation
●    It improves the quality of air in your home and crawl space
●    It makes the space inhabitable for pests and insects that can destroy wood
●    It makes the home more comfortable
●    It prevents structural damage and mold problems
●    The energy efficiency of your home is increased

How Long Does Crawl Space Vapor Barrier Last?
The whole essence of crawl space encapsulation is to prevent moisture from seeping through the ground and collecting in the crawlspace by installing a vapor or moisture barrier. In some cases, to make the encapsulation more effective, some extra components are installed. These extra installations include:

●    A dehumidifier to regulate the humidity levels of the crawlspace so as to prevent mold formation on the floor joists.
●    A sump pump to dispense any stagnant water collected from underneath the moisture barrier.

The condition of each crawlspace can vary based on its size, the type of soil underneath it, the height of the water table in that area. These variations are the major determinants of how long the crawlspace encapsulation will last, coupled with the factor of whether or not a sump pump and a dehumidifier were installed with the heavy-duty moisture barrier.

Another factor that determines how long the crawlspace encapsulation will last is how thick the moisture barrier is. The guarantee that the installation company will give you will largely depend on this factor. You may be offered a longer warranty if there is also an installation of underlayment under the vapor barrier.

The thickness of vapor barriers is usually between 6mils -20mils. You should note that the unit “mil” in this case is a different unit of measurement from millimeter. To understand this conversion, 39.27mils is equal to one millimeter.

While this may vary from company to company, you can expect to get a warranty of between 15 and 20 years for crawl space encapsulation. However, barring catastrophic occurrences such as flooding, and with well-regulated humidity levels, your encapsulated crawl space should last for over 20 years.

What is the Average Cost to Encapsulate Your Crawl Space?
Going by the estimation of cost calculators, the average cost of crawl space encapsulation runs into about $7,500. There are a few determinants of how much it would cost you to encapsulate your crawl space. The major factors are how large your crawl space is, the materials to be used for the encapsulation and the present condition of your crawl space. Based on these factors, the cost of crawl space encapsulation can range between $5,000-$30,000.

You may need to take some time to inspect your crawl space to determine its size and the type of condition the space is in. While doing this, watch out for the necessary repairs that should be done before you engage a professional. This exercise will give you a better idea of how much you may expect to spend on the encapsulation.

For a rough estimate, you may be spending between $5,500 and $7,500 to encapsulate a crawl space of about one thousand square feet. A medium-size crawl space of about two thousand square feet can cost you an average of $12,500.

Should I Encapsulate My Crawl Space Myself?
It is not recommended that you attempt to encapsulate your crawl space by yourself because it requires skill, experience, and the right tools. Also, considering that encapsulation is not a cheap project of a hundred dollars, you wouldn’t want to waste thousands of dollars and so much effort only to end up with a mess of a crawlspace.

With the help of crawlspace professionals, your project is in safe hands as they have the skill and all the right tools to do a good and effective job for you. First, they will inspect your area to determine if your crawlspace is suitable for encapsulation, after which they will help you address other necessary issues that may affect the quality of the outcome.

Bottom Line
Crawlspace encapsulation is one of the most important home upgrades that you can invest in today. It helps to keep pests and moisture out of your home, improves the quality of air within your home, and also preserves the structural integrity of the property. With the help of a crawlspace professional, a perfect encapsulation job will be done, lasting for over two decades.