Crawl Space Encapsulation Might Be The Pest Control Method Your Home Needs
Unless you have your crawl space cleaned up and use it as a storage area, then it's probably a dark and creepy place that you rarely visit. That makes it an ideal hideout for pests like rats and spiders. The problem is that your crawl space isn't separate from your home. Your home rests right above it, so humid conditions in the crawl space will affect your living space in addition to drawing pests to the crawl space. Plus, the pests in the crawl space can get in your home when they search for food or warmth. Crawl space encapsulation could be the solution. Here's how encapsulation works to help control pests.
Crawl Space Encapsulation Blocks Water Vapor
If your crawl space has a bare earth floor, then water vapor rises up from the soil and increases humidity in the space. The excess humidity leads to moisture that attracts a variety of insects and rodents. When the space is encapsulated with a thick vapor barrier, this reduces the amount of humidity. The vapor barrier covers the soil and walls so water vapor can't get through. In addition, a dehumidifier is often set up in the encapsulated space to help keep the area dry.
A Dry Crawl Space Means Fewer Pests
A crawl space is usually dark and musty and is rarely disturbed by humans. This gives rodents and insects a place where they can thrive and breed uncontrolled. This can lead to an increase in roaches in your home above or termites that infest the damp wood. Rats and mice can also move in and then chew into the walls to gain entry to your home. You may even have trouble with possums, raccoons, or snakes invading the space. Crawl space encapsulation keeps the space dry so there is no moisture to attract pests. In this way, the encapsulation acts as a barrier that keeps pests from invading your home above.
Your Living Space May Stay Drier Too
If your home seems to have trouble with humidity and you're not sure why, the answer might be a humid crawl space. Water vapor from the space seeps into your home above. A kitchen right over the crawl space might stay humid and attract bugs from the yard or allow bugs you carry home from the store to thrive and breed. When your crawl space is finally dried out, the humidity in your living space may drop too, and that makes it easier to control moisture and makes your home less inviting to pests.
Crawl space encapsulation has benefits besides pest control, such as blocking radon gas, preventing the growth of mold, and protecting the structure of your home from wood decay. That makes it a worthwhile investment, especially since it could put an end to your pest problems as well.