Making Better Energy ChoicesMaking Better Energy Choices

Crawl space encapsulation serves homeowners in a lot of ways, such as keeping pests away and safeguarding internal structures from water damage. If you want to make the most out of crawl space encapsulation though, here are some things to do. 

Remove Standing Water if Present 

Some homeowners have crawlspaces that are below the foundation and that leaves these areas more exposed to water. If you see that there is water around your crawl space area, go ahead and remove it before putting in encapsulation materials. That will give you a cleaner environment to work around, as well as ensure liner materials stay put after installation. 

You can either remove standing water with a standard bucket or a pump if there is a lot of water in this area. You just want all of the surfaces to be dry before you start encapsulating the crawl space. 

Set Up Appropriate Lighting

The crawl space is naturally going to be dark because the light isn't able to reach this area of your property. For this reason, you need to make sure you set up some type of lighting system before getting started. You'll then be able to see where you're going and thus improve the safety of crawl space encapsulation.

There are a lot of lighting solutions you can use for this crawl space renovation. Just try to get something cordless that offers a bright light source that takes away all shadows. That will make it easier to see when putting down protective liner materials around this area.

Cover Any Open Spaces

There might be open spaces around the crawl space, such as vents that allow air to pass through. It's key to cover these areas with a protective liner too so that you can have a fully enclosed crawl space area. That's going to better protect your home from water and pest damage.

You just need to map out these open spaces before getting started and then target them during the encapsulation process. Also, be aware of building codes that dictate how you need to seal these open spaces. Then you can remain compliant as a homeowner.

If you have a crawl space that's unfinished, you might consider encapsulating it before long because this is going to promote air circulation and keep moisture from building up. As long as you figure out what steps to take for a successful encapsulation, you won't have lingering worries to deal with.