For a long time, it was believed that crawl spaces should be vented. Conventional thinking has changed, given that unconditioned crawl spaces can pose significant moisture retention issues. With an average annual rainfall approaching 40 inches, no dry season and temperatures hitting the 90s in the summer, Northeast Ohio can be very muggy. Homeowners should certainly consider bringing crawl spaces into their conditioned space.
Issues
Once dampness enters an unused space, it has a tendency to remain there. Even if that area is vented, and even after long periods without rainfall, batts of insulation are likely to remain wet. Because they’re attached directly to the building, that moisture is held against wooden floors and joists, against metal structural components and against wiring and pipes. Obviously, all of this is likely to result in corrosion and rot. Conversely, if the weight of the retained water pulls the insulation away, it’s no longer doing its job; some of the money you spend on heating and cooling is being wasted.
The problems don’t end there, however. Crawl spaces can be beneath the first floor, or between the upper and lower storeys of split-level homes. Colonies of mold, fungus and mildew can flourish there, and are acutely aggravating to allergy sufferers. They can, in extreme circumstances, be active health hazards to everyone who enters or occupies the building.
Embrace the Space
The remedy is simple to prescribe, although it may be more complicated to put into effect: make your crawl space a conditioned space. Closing the area off by removing vents effectively prevents most moisture ingression. If the area is then heated and cooled in tandem with the floors above and/or below it, whatever warm, humid air does find its way in will not condense; moisture will flow through, rather than taking up residence.
Solving all these problems is a job for the professionals. Energy 1 Heating & Air Conditioning has more than 50 years of combined HVAC experience serving Lorain, Erie and Cuyahoga counties. Contact us to arrange a consultation, and begin bringing your crawl space into your conditioned space.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Lorain, Ohio about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.
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Energy 1 Heating & Air Conditioning
1 (440) 246-5440
Serving the Lorain, OH Area