Encapsulating A Crawl Space Under A Porch: What The Project Entails And Why Do It
Posted on: 16 December 2019
In a few areas in the country, porches that were once open parts of the house are now enclosed fully and used as rooms or storage spaces on the property. The ground underneath these old porches was typically converted into crawl spaces for added storage. If you have such a space in your home and you generally do not go into it, it might be time for you to take a peek in there and hire crawl space encapsulation services. Here is what an encapsulation project entails and why you should do it.
The Contractor Clears Out the Crawl Space
If you go ahead with the encapsulation, the contractor will come and clear out the crawl space of any debris or things that were stashed there a long time ago or stashed there by former owners of the home. You can decide what you want to be done with the stuff that the contractor clears out, but almost everything that comes out of these crawl spaces is usually trash, or it will be because it is so saturated with water and wet dirt. Once the area is clear of everything but dirt, the real encapsulation process begins.
The Contractor Levels the Dirt Floor in the Crawl Space
Encapsulation works much better if the dirt floor of the crawl space is level and universally flat. This is no easy process because not many tools can fit into most crawl spaces. A carpenter's bubble level has to be used to measure most of the dirt floor before the next step.
Plastic Wrapping the Space
Encapsulation involves using a special type of insulated plastic wrap to line the floor and walls of the crawl space. This prevents a lot of moisture as well as mice and insect pests from getting into the space, and subsequently prevents pests from gaining access to your home. The plastic is fastened and sealed wherever possible so that it is not loose and bunching up every time there is a storm.
Why You Want the Encapsulation
Crawl spaces are very inviting to pests. They are an access point to your home for pests. Everything from snakes and mice to cockroaches, ants, bees, scorpions, and multi-legged creatures will crawl into the space. You do not have to continue housing these pests in the crawl space. Once encapsulated, your pest control expert will be able to help you eradicate pest problems for good.
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