Crawl Space Repair in Indianapolis & Central Indiana
"Crawl Space Moisture Control"
If you're looking for a way to prevent crawl space moisture, Americrawl can help protect your home from:
- Crawl Space Mold
- Bugs & Rodents
- Structural Damage
- Crawl Space Odor
- Loss of Storage Space
- Rising Energy Costs
If you have a concrete, dirt, damp, or musty crawl space in Indianapolis, Lafayette, Bloomington, and other cities throughout our service area in Central Indiana & Northern Indiana, let Americrawl help. We are an authorized Basement Systems CleanSpace dealer in Central Indiana, authorized to install the CleanSpace crawl space encapsulation system. We also serve customers in Northeast Illinois and Northwest Ohio. The CleanSpace Crawl Space Encapsulation System includes products that prevent crawl space moisture by encapsulating the crawl space with a vapor barrier, closing the crawl space vents, and conditioning the space to make a healthier home!
At Americrawl, our certified technicians handle much more than crawl space repair. Our certified crews also provide services for basement waterproofing, foundation repair, sump pump installation, and other moisture control services for both residential and commercial customers. To learn more, dial 463-218-6767 or click here to set up an appointment with a service technician today!
Solving The Problem: Crawl Space
At Americrawl, years of hands-on experience and aggressive education in crawl space and basement science have resulted in unsurpassed solutions. Our vast storehouse of advanced methods and proven installations provide custom remedies for every foundation imaginable. Patented systems include a Lifetime Transferable Warranty that applies to the home, regardless of ownership change. We look forward to giving your foundation a "physical," and curing your crawl space and basement headaches with an applicable treatment.
Why is Crawl Space Moisture so Bad?
The problem with a dirt or vented concrete crawlspace is that as warm air rises in your home, it brings up with it the air that was previously in your crawl space, including moisture and mold spores, as well as anything else that may be airborne down there.(See Stack Effect Image on Right)
Dirt crawl spaces, vented crawl spaces, or unconditioned crawl spaces of any type under a home are a very bad idea - and crawl spaces in Indiana and surrounding states suffer big temperature and relative humidity swings through the seasons. The earth has very high humidity in the soil. This humidity or water vapor easily moves into the crawlspace and upwards into the house environment.
As this air rises in your home, replacement air enters from the lowest part, your crawlspace. This replacement air is made up with unconditioned outside air that enters through vents and other leaks, and air that is actually sucked from the crawlspace floor, either dirt or concrete, which is typically filled with lots of moisture. This natural upward air movement is called the "stack effect" -- this is how chimneys work. Consequently, whatever is in the air at the lowest point eventually flows up into the living sections. Up to 40% of the air we breathe on the first floor of our home comes from the crawl space.
A concrete or dirt crawl space with a crawl space vent is a never-ending source of moisture. Even if the dirt's surface seems dry, digging down a few inches reveals moist earth.
Crawl Space Mold, Musty Odors
Moisture leads to mold growth, musty odors, and structural damage, not to mention that insects and critters love moist environments and energy costs are higher. Moisture ruins houses by providing a hospitable environment for mold, fungi, and insects that destroy wood framing. Crawl space moisture, and the mold and mildew that thrive in this environment, affect not only the floor system directly above, but also the entire house.
Three things destroy organic materials in general, and wood in particular: water, heat, and ultra-violet radiation. Of these, water is by far the most damaging... and the one we can control.
A Crawl Space Vapor Barrier System is the Answer
Sealing the crawl space from the earth and outside air is the solution to moisture and dampness in the home. Some crawlspace contractors and homeowners will simply put down a thin, non-UV-resistant plastic liner, like a 6-mil plastic liner. This really has no effect as there's still too much opportunity for air to enter from crawl space doors or hatches, crawl space vents, pipe penetrations, porous concrete walls, the hollow cores of blocks, and various other gaps and holes. The CleanSpace crawl space encapsulation system includes solutions to all these challenges.
Properly sealing the crawlspace and removing the moisture from the ground and air is part of the solution that helps provide a mold-free, radon-free, and insect-free environment, which leads to a more more energy-efficient and healthier home.
To avoid moisture's negative affects, a crawlspace should be completely sealed and isolated from the ground and the humid outside air with a crawl space barrier system.
This crawlspace vapor barrier system involves installing a 20-mil 7-ply sandwich of high and low-density polyethylene with polyester-cord reinforcement on the dirt or concrete floor, that is fastened and epoxied to the walls. This extra-heavy reinforced lining is made especially for this system and is treated with an antimicrobial finish that protects against mold and mildew growth under the crawlspace liner.
Lower energy bills, resulting from reduced crawlspace humidity, translate into comfort and savings year after year. The CleanSpace crawlspace vapor barrier is tough enough for service people to crawl on and safe enough for storage. Being bright white, the CleanSpace liner really brightens a crawlspace too, making it a relatively pleasant storage place.
Crawl Space Repair F.A.Q.
How does water get in my crawl space?
Water in your crawl space can be caused by a few different things such as a water leak, water seepage from the surrounding soil, rain run-off, or condensation.
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