Thousands of Memphis residents live in homes that feature crawl spaces instead of basements. Unfortunately, crawl spaces are frequently ignored and neglected, seen as an afterthought rather than a priority for care and maintenance.
If your home has a crawl space, you should be checking it frequently (as the seasons change), and if you haven’t been doing so, you could be setting yourself up for big trouble. If the trouble has already started, it’s best to act quickly, before the damage gets worse.
As crawl space conditions deteriorate, hazards will begin to develop. Unnoticed foundation damage is one possibility, but another, even more likely outcome is excessive water penetration. When you have a crawl space surface foundation, ground water can easily seep in through the dirt floor, or through tiny cracks and crevices in walls. With inadequate air flow in these cramped spaces, rapid moisture buildup is inevitable, and before you know it you will have a major moisture problem.
At Olshan Foundation Repair in Memphis we know all about what happens when crawl spaces get wet and are unable to dry out. If you have crawl space contamination issues let one of our Certified Structural Technicians, each an expert in crawl space recovery and repair, develop a custom solution to fix the problem, free-of-charge.
Crawl space encapsulation is the ideal solution to chronic water penetration at or below ground level, and Olshan’s crawl space encapsulation products and procedures will stop your crawl space moisture troubles in their tracks. Our patented, state-of-the-art CrawlSafe™ Encapsulation System is setting new standards for excellence in crawl space restoration, and once our products are in place your home will remain dry, snug and secure from top to bottom.
Musty Smells? Poor Indoor Air Quality? Memphis Crawl Spaces Are Under Siege
Moisture penetration in crawl space homes is a huge problem in the South, where humidity levels are high and heavy thunderstorms are an accepted fact of life. Memphis in particular is noted for its hot, humid summers and elevated levels of rainfall, and it is that confluence of wetness that puts your home’s crawl space at risk.
Crawl spaces are often poorly ventilated and any evaporation that occurs will happen at a snail’s pace, so if leaks occur, moisture can accumulate to unacceptable levels in just a few days’ time. Needless to say, if the moisture penetration remains undetected for weeks or months, the water proliferation can be significant—and the damage it causes to your home’s air quality and structural integrity can be immense.
If you have crawl space moisture contamination, here’s what you will experience:
- Elevated indoor humidity. Up to 40 percent of the air that enters your home’s living spaces will begin its journey in your crawl space, and if it is moisture-laden, your indoor humidity levels will rise dramatically.
- Wood rot and sagging floorboards. Structural beams and floorboards are highly vulnerable to the effects of excessive moisture, and they will slowly bend, warp or rot away if the exposure is chronic.
- Insect and rodent infestations. Ants, cockroaches, spiders, crickets and other creepy crawlies love dark, damp, sheltered locations, as do mice, rats, snakes and other unwelcome guests.
- Mold, mildew and allergy attacks. Mold and mildew will flourish in habitually moist crawlspaces, and as their spores rise they will quickly contaminate your breathing spaces and compromise your health and safety.
- Higher summertime utility bills. Humid air feels warmer, and if you have moisture problems you will need to use your fans and air conditioners more often to preserve your comfort.
- Bad odors. When you mix insect and rodent droppings with mold and mildew, and let it stew for weeks or months in dank, fetid puddles collecting on dirt floors, the surrounding air will pick up some loathsome smells, that is unavoidable.
This is a lot of bad news and a lot to worry about, which is why your crawl space moisture issues require rapid, aggressive treatment.
Which is exactly what Olshan technicians will provide with our patented CrawlSafe™ Encapsulation Technology.
Vapor Barrier Installation. CrawlSafe™ and SafeSeal™: Encapsulation Solutions Designed For Memphis, TN Home
The level of remediation required varies from home to home. Which is why after our technicians have completed their free, no-obligation initial evaluation, they will then tell you exactly what you need to do to rehabilitate your crawl space.
For serious moisture problems, and for homeowners who are serious about their crawl space moisture problems, we recommend our full CrawlSafe™ encapsulation system. This hefty package of superior crawl space remediation products includes:
- The SafeSeal™ Encapsulation Liner. This seven-layer, polyethylene lining is perfectly watertight and penetration resistant. Unlike a conventional sealing cover, which seals the floor and a portion of the walls, the SafeSeal™ liner offers snug, leak-free encapsulation of crawlspace walls, floor and ceiling, keeping the moisture out forcefully and definitively.
- Interior Water Removal System. Variety of systems available (depending on project goals) designed for water diversion and removal. When used with the SafeSeal™, ground water and rainfall runoff simply cannot invade your crawl space, no matter how hard they try.
- Optional Ventilation Systems. Our wide selection of crawl space dehumidifiers offer superb air exchange efficiency and dehumidifying services, keeping crawl space air dry, fresh and free from contamination. A crawl spac dehumidifier adds yet another layer of protection to your crawl space encapsulation strategy.
- The SafeAdjust™ Support Columns. Sometimes foundation damage or water damage can cause floors and support beams to weaken and sag. But with the SafeAdjust™ support system sagging floors can be lifted back into place and further damage can be prevented. For even stronger repairs, consider DeepAdjust™.
When you chose the CrawlSafe™ system, each element will be expertly installed, with care and full attention to detail to guarantee the absence of any leakage.
If you have milder moisture issues, the SafeSeal™ encapsulation liner (which can be installed on walls or dirt floor) alone might be sufficient, possibly in combination with the a crawl space dehumidifier. Additionally, if you are having exterior drainage problems outside your home, our technicians can recommend and install solutions to those difficulties as well, which helps eliminate water issues before they enter the crawl space.
Depending on the size of the home and project goals, costs of crawl space encapsulation can run anywhere from $3,500 to $24,000, depending on how significant your moisture troubles are. But make no mistake, crawl space moisture problems will cause damage to your home that can dramatically affect your home’s resale value, and that makes comprehensive crawl space encapsulation a fantastic investment for your home.
CrawlSafe™ and SafeSeal™ Advantages
By keeping your crawl space dry, what specifically will CrawlSafe™ or SafeSeal™ do for you?
Among their many benefits, they will:
- Cut your climate control utility costs (heating, air conditioning, upper floor dehumidifying).
- Protect your home from flooding during the heaviest Tennessee thunderstorms.
- Reduce your family’s risk of allergy or asthma attacks.
- Keep pests of all types far away from your home.
- Eliminate mold and mildew problems.
- Stop swelling, shrinking, heaving and rotting of wooden structural components.
- Keep your home’s air fresh and odor-free.
- Allow you to reclaim your crawl space as a storage area.
- Improve the value of your home
As this list shows, crawl space encapsulation is a real winner. If you let Olshan handle the procedure you will be putting your trust in a company that has been solving foundation-related problems for more than eight decades in Memphis and all across the land.
Ending Your Crawl Space Moisture Problem, Once and for All
When you know or suspect water infiltration in your crawlspace, contact Olshan Foundation Repair in Memphis, TN right away, and we will dispatch a specialists to your home to perform a free evaluation. Our home repair experts will assess your home and make on-target recommendations for repair and maintenance of your home.
If crawl space encapsulation is the answer to your problems, rest assured we have the best encapsulation products and services available anywhere. Call us today and find out how Olshan’s crawl space encapsulation services can end your moisture problems while protecting and preserving the health of your home.
Serving Memphis and Nearby Cities in Arkansas & Mississippi
We provide services in Arlington, Atoka, Bartlett, Batesville, Blytheville, Brownsville, Buck Snort, Cedarview, Clarksdale, Collierville, Columbus, Cordova, Corinth, Covington, Dresden, Dyersburg, Fair Field, Forrest City, Germantown, Greenfield, Hernando, High Point, Holly Springs, Horn Lake, Jackson, Jonesboro, LaGrange, Lake Side, Lake View, Lakeland, Lexington, Lick Skillet, Manila, Marion, Marks, Mason, Meadow Cliff, Memphis, Millington, Munford, Olive Branch, Osceola, Oxford, Paragould, Pocahontas, Ripley, Ripley, , Robinsonville, Rockhill, Searcy, Selmer, Senatobia, Somerville, Southaven, Trenton, Tunica, Tupelo, Wadell, Walnut Ridge, Wardell, West Memphis, and Wynne.
