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Understanding and Solving Crawl Space Moisture with Encapsulation

Memphis’ humid climate near the Mississippi River creates a high-risk environment for crawl space moisture problems. Have you been researching how to remove mold from your crawl space? Wondering how to improve your airflow and ventilation to get rid of humidity? 

If this sounds like you, and you’ve noticed sagging or uneven floors, musty smells, or increased indoor allergies, crawl space encapsulation could be the remedy to your home’s moisture problems. 

Crawl space encapsulation is a long-term solution to help protect your home from moisture, humidity, and potential structural issues. We’ll outline the signs, causes, and effective solutions to help ensure your home stays dry, functional, and supported.

Why Do Memphis Homes Experience Crawl Space Issues?

Located in the humid subtropical climate zone, Memphis experiences:

  • High humidity levels throughout the year, leading to condensation in crawl spaces
  • Heavy annual rainfall and groundwater intrusion increase the risk of standing water
  • Soil composition that retains moisture, causing foundation and structural issues
  • Mold growth and pest infestations, thriving in damp, enclosed crawl spaces
  • Seasonal temperature fluctuations, impacting airflow and insulation effectiveness

Signs That Your Crawl Space Needs Help: 

  • Standing water in your crawl space 
  • Mold and excess moisture
  • Wet or falling insulation
  • Sagging or uneven floors in your home
  • Higher electric bills 
  • Indoor humidity and musty smells
  • Loose or unsealed crawl space door
  • Increased allergies or respiratory issues
  • Unwanted bugs and pests

What Do These Problem Signs Mean For Your Home?

These problem signs indicate serious issues with your crawl space. It could mean you have an ineffective or missing moisture barrier, or vapor barrier, which can lead to excess moisture buildup. You could have floor joist damage and wood rot, which signals structural deterioration. 

These problem signs also indicate poor airflow and ventilation, which exacerbate the problem by trapping damp air. You also might experience persistent high humidity, which creates the ideal environment for mold growth. Addressing these issues promptly is crucial to maintaining the health and stability of your home.

Solutions For Crawl Space Moisture:  

Crawl space encapsulation is a comprehensive approach to sealing and protecting your crawl space from moisture and humidity. The process may include:

  • Vapor barriers: To effectively control crawl space moisture, a high-quality vapor barrier is essential. Groundworks uses a durable 20mil vapor barrier to create a long-lasting, airtight seal. 
  • Crawl space sealing: Sealing the crawl space vents is crucial, as they can trap damp air and promote mold growth, making it better to eliminate them for long-term moisture control.
  • Insulation and drainage systems: Proper crawl space insulation regulates temperature and moisture, boosting energy efficiency and lowering HVAC costs. If moisture is a concern, our experts may recommend adding a drainage system, such as drainage matting or a sump pump, to manage water effectively.
  • Dehumidifier installation: Adding a dehumidifier helps maintain healthy humidity levels (30-50% per the EPA) in your crawl space and home. It removes excess moisture, preventing mold and ensuring a comfortable, healthy environment.

The benefits of the crawl space encapsulation process are improved air quality, reduced moisture and mold growth, lower energy costs, enhanced structural integrity, and pest prevention. All of these factors work together to create a healthier and longer-lasting living environment.

Groundworks Work Truck

Why Choose Groundworks?

If you’re concerned about your crawl space’s humidity levels, our experts are here to help. Tackling crawl space issues now can prevent costly repairs, health risks, and energy inefficiencies later. 

Whether you’re just noticing the signs or have been watching the problem worsen, trust our local experts here in the birthplace of rock ‘n’ roll to provide a long-lasting solution.

Some homeowners don’t worry about their crawl space moisture at all. However, it’s a crucial element of a home’s health. The problem is that many homeowners don’t know why it’s so important. Here is what to remember about crawl space moisture.

  • Issues with High Moisture Levels

Most crawl spaces have much higher levels of moisture than they should have. For the most part, it’s common for crawl spaces to have levels of moisture that are at or above the healthy level, often because of a variety of untreated problems that your crawl space may naturally have.

If you’re experiencing high moisture levels in your crawl space, you’re almost certainly also going to end up with high moisture levels elsewhere in your house. Crawl spaces share air with the rest of the home, which means those high levels of moisture are going to end up invading the home at large. That can be upsetting and damaging for your home’s structural integrity.

  • Secondary Reasons for High Crawl Space Moisture

Especially if you have an unencapsulated crawl space or you’re experiencing leaks and floods, you might have much higher crawl space moisture levels than are healthy. There is a myriad of reasons for experiencing this unnatural humidity, but not every reason might apply to your crawl space.

When you’re trying to reduce humidity, fixing the problem at its root should be one of your top priorities. Managing your crawl space moisture means removing crawl space entrances, which may include vents and dirt floors, and checking up on the kinds of leaking happening in the space.

Crawl space insulation seems to “attract” moisture, which can confuse some homeowners. It’s not that there’s anything special about crawl space insulation, but instead that its very makeup seems to make it much easier for it to become full of moisture.

  •  It’s Supposed to Remain Dry

Since crawl spaces are meant to stay dry, they’re very sensitive to moisture. When crawl space insulation gets wet, it’s likely to stay wet, and that means it’s fairly unlikely to have crawl space insulation that dries itself out even after months of moisture.

This causes an unfortunate problem in many crawl spaces. Your insulation may start to have moisture problems even when no moisture seems to be present, or it may harbor things like mold and rot, which can escalate into bigger problems. All it needs is one-time contact with water, and it may remain damp for weeks. That means it will seem to “attract moisture” long after moisture has left the area.

  • The Absorbency of the Insulation Lends Itself Well to Moisture

Insulation is extremely light and typically uses very moisture-averse materials. That makes it very absorbent, which means that if any moisture gets on the insulation at all, it will absorb into it. That can itself create serious problems in the future. Essentially, because the area needs to stay dry, moisture can sink into the insulation over time.

The usefulness of your crawl space insulation tends to have a direct link to its ability to absorb moisture. That means the best crawl space insulation needs a moisture-averse element to help avoid this. Essentially, you’ll probably need a crawl space dehumidifier in your crawl space to ensure there isn’t enough humidity to impact your crawl space insulation.

Encapsulation seals the space from external elements, reducing the need for frequent repairs and keeping the crawl space dry and clean.

Ted Dryce

Ted Dryce

Content Writer

Ted is an SEO Content Writer who has been with Groundworks since 2021. He’s covered home repair topics ranging from crawl space encapsulation to regional soil conditions. When he’s not working, Ted is performing improv comedy and working on his own creative projects.