When it comes to investing in your home or making valuable updates, you may think of new flooring or updating your kitchen, maybe even replacing some windows or your HVAC for home efficiency. More than likely, preventing moisture in your basement or crawl space is not on your agenda, but it definitely should be!
There are five key benefits to waterproofing your home that we wanted to share with you so you can make an informed choice about your next home improvement project.
Why Are Basements and Crawl Spaces So Damp?
You’ve probably gone down to your basement and noticed musty or mildew odors, or you avoid anything involving your crawl space due to standing water and pests like camel crickets. But why are these areas so damp?
If your house was built over a crawl space, your home has about 18 inches of space between the earth and the floor joists. As moisture from that dirt evaporates, the dank, humid air stagnates under the home, with some of it seeping through the joists and gaps in your flooring.
Basements have a different moisture issue. Water can seep in through your basement walls from the sides, but even if exterior basement waterproofing was done, hydrostatic pressure from ground water can force moisture up through your basement floor, often where the wall and floor meet.
Waterproofing Makes Your Home Healthier
The number one reason to have your crawl space or basement waterproofed, is to make your home healthier. Remember how we said 60 percent of the first floor’s air comes from under your home?
Think of the stagnant, humid air in your crawl space or the musty air in your basement and breathing that in. You may be breathing in all manner of mold spores and contaminants that are harming your health. If you suffer from allergies, headaches, asthma, or other chronic illnesses, your home may be making your health problems worse.
On the other hand, eliminating the moisture and vapor means eliminating mold, bacteria, and other allergens and respiratory triggers. This makes your home a safer, healthier place for you and your family.
A Dry Home is More Energy Efficient
Living in North Carolina with our extremely hot, humid summers and chilly winters, we deal with high energy bills through much of the year, and want ways to reduce reduce those costs without sacrificing our comfort. By waterproofing your home’s foundation or basement, you can lower your electric bills all year around.
In the winter, the area under your home is going to be significantly colder than your living areas. That cold air finds its way in through the same cracks, gaps, and crevices that moisture and mold finds as warm air exits. During the summer, the hot, humid air enters the same way. The added moisture puts more strain on your HVAC system causing it to work harder.
By sealing your basement or crawl space so air and water vapor can’t come in and your heated or cooled air can’t escape, you’ll see a big improvement in your energy bills.
Eliminate Pests from a Damp Basement or Crawl Space
Those camel crickets we mentioned earlier, millipedes, silverfish, and other pests thrive in moist environments, especially dark basements and crawl spaces. Once they’re within your home’s foundation, they can easily access your living spaces, such as your bathroom and under your kitchen sinks.
While these pests are definitely unpleasant, the biggest concern are termites. In North Carolina, subterranean termites are the more common variety and, as their name suggests, they live within moist soil. They’ll build mud tubes to find sources of cellulose to eat and those mud tubes can extend into your home, where they’ll feast on your floor joists and wooden flooring.
This can quickly lead to severe structural damage under your home.
Waterproofing Prevents Structural Damage
Foundation problems are one of the most expensive, problematic issues to affect your home. If your crawl space or basement has mold and moisture problems, foundation and structural issues may be next. Water vapor and moisture causes mold growth and wood rot, both of which can eat destroy your home, causing floor joists to buckle, stone foundations to crack and crumble, and your home to sag and sink. Eliminate the moisture and you’re eliminating one of the biggest causes of wood rot to better protect your home and increase it’s life span.
Get More Use from Your Basement
If you have a damp basement that’s going unused, having our professional team come out and waterproof it can give you more opportunities to get more use from your space. Turn the space into an unhealthy, unpleasant space that’s going to waste into a home office, extra bedroom, or hang out spot for your kids. Not only will you get more enjoyment and functionality from your home, it can also increase your home’s value.
Contact Us for Basement or Crawl Space Waterproofing in Raleigh
If you want to learn more about how we can provide comprehensive encapsulation to end moisture problems in your home, reach out to us today at 919-847-7072 or fill out our contact form below. We will schedule a no-obligations consultation and quote to discuss your waterproofing options.