Typically, a dirt crawlspace is used as a barrier between your home and the moist soil beneath. But this rarely works as well as it’s meant to—oftentimes, it can become a trap for moisture to accumulate, leading to problems like mold growth, sagging floors, and pests.
So how does one use a crawlspace for storage if it can be such a mess?
With the right preparations, there’s a way to transform your crawlspace into a valuable addition to your home’s useable space. That’s where encapsulating your crawlspace comes in—but there are some things you’ll want to do first before your crawlspace is ready to be encapsulated and ready for use.
Let’s look at the steps!
Check Your Crawlspace for Water and Water Sources
Before any work can be done, you’ll first need to make sure that there’s no standing water in your crawlspace. Look out for any water sources, such as water seeping through cracks in your foundation walls, and leaky plumbing.
These water sources will need to be repaired so that no further water intrusion occurs. There may also be mold present because of those water sources—any mold infestations should be cleaned from the crawlspace.
Make Sure Your Crawlspace Has Enough Lighting
Before any repairs should be done, be sure to double-check your crawlspace’s lighting. Sufficient lighting should be available to ensure your safety and that of anyone involved in the crawlspace encapsulation process.
It will also ensure that you can navigate your transformed crawlspace and store your things!
Cleaning Your Crawlspace’s Dirt Floor
Crawlspaces can be littered with all sorts of debris. This can help prevent possible injury by falling and to also ensure that your crawlspace encapsulation system is free of anything that might damage the moisture barrier lining.
A clean crawlspace will help ensure that you can safely store things in it without harm to you or your belongings. It will also deter pests from finding a home in your crawlspace.
Inspect Your Electrical Wiring and Equipment
It is highly recommended that you also inspect your crawlspace for any damaged electrical wiring. If your heating system or HVAC system is in your crawlspace, it should also be checked for any signs of damage.
Moisture vapor and condensation in the crawlspace can lead to the rusting of metal equipment and parts. Any repairs needed should be done before moving to the next step.
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Sealing Your Crawlspace
Now that your crawlspace is cleaned and fixed up, the encapsulating process can begin. First, any ways for outside moisture to invade your crawlspace will need to be sealed off.
This can include sealing any crawlspace vents and filling any gaps in your crawlspace wall, such as where pipes may be going through to reach the outside.
Encapsulating the Crawlspace
Now your crawlspace is ready for encapsulation. A thick vapor barrier lining will be used to line your crawlspace floor. It should also be fastened to your crawlspace walls and any support columns to ensure no moisture is able to infiltrate into the crawlspace.
Depending on your home’s unique situation, you may want to also consider enhancing your crawlspace encapsulation with a crawlspace waterproofing system and a dehumidifier.
A encapsulated crawlspace system can keep your crawlspace dry and protected against intrusive groundwater, especially during a heavy rain. While the waterproofing system keeps groundwater moving out of your home, a dehumidifier can help condition and maintain your crawlspace’s moisture levels.
This will help ensure that anything you store in your transformed crawlspace will remain dry and protected from mold growth and any other moisture-related problems.
Ideas for Your Transformed Crawlspace
Now that your crawlspace is dry and sealed, it is ready to be used as your new storage space! There’s a variety of other ways that you can use an encapsulated crawlspace as well:
Whatever you wish to do with your crawlspace, it can be made possible with proper crawlspace encapsulation in place.
To safely unlock the potential of your crawlspace, it’s highly recommended that you contact a crawlspace encapsulation and waterproofing expert!
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Image credit: transforming your crawlspace into a storage area by flicker
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