Have you ever seen punch-out, screened openings in the side of a house’s foundation and wondered what they were there for? These are ventilation vents, and they are designed to reduce moisture in your crawlspace. Your home’s long-term stability and maintenance, as well as your comfort, highly depend on the level of ventilation in your crawlspace.
Moisture in your crawlspace can be detrimental and destructive to the rest of your home. It can lead to wood rot as well as a variety of types of mildew and mold. If left untreated, it can make your home nearly unlivable. Light, heat, and airflow are the best defenses you have against a moist crawlspace, but since it is harder to provide heat and light to this area, promoting good airflow through ventilation is your best option.
Most building codes dictate that crawlspaces have proper ventilation to prevent moisture that can rot away joists, flooring, and beams. Typically, this airflow is provided by several screened vents inserted into your concrete foundation that surround the entirety of the crawlspace. Besides these vents, there are other ways to bring drier air into your crawlspace to keep things dry, such as fans from ATMOX that can bring in additional air when the dew point outside is lower than inside the crawlspace.
If you have moisture in your crawlspace, one of the best things you can do is call us for an inspection. We can fully inspect your crawlspace and let you know which solutions are available to improve the dryness of this area.