How Clean Is the Air In Your Home?

Air. 

       Breath. 

                    Scent, smell. odor. 

                                               Mold, mildew, chemicals, radon. 

How clean is the air you breathe in your home?

To answer that question, you first need to ask how clean the air is in your home’s crawlspace.

Approximately 50% of the air we breathe in our homes, particularly on the first floor, originates from the crawlspace under the home. If your HVAC system is in that space, the percentage will likely be even higher.

Most homes in the South are built with a layer of gravel over the dirt under the home. Some homes don’t even have gravel, just a damp dirt floor. Crawlspaces like this will be vented to the outside with the thought that moisture, odors, and gasses will dissipate through the vents. The truth is, most of these crawlspace conditions allow far more moisture into the space, in addition to insects, rodents, and other small animals. 

So, how do these conditions affect the breathing air in your home above the crawlspace?

Rodents and small animals like to live under our homes where they can stay warm and dry. They also defecate and urinate – and sometimes even give birth under our homes – all leading to foul odors and potential allergens.

Insects, like ants, roaches, and termites, enjoy shacking up in the crawlspace for the same reasons – warm, dry, AND our home structure provides an unlimited buffet for every little buggy meal.

But let’s talk now about moisture and gasses. Even if we close crawlspace vents during wet or humid weather, we are still living in a home with nothing but the floorboards and maybe some carpet or tile between us and the dirt underneath. That dirt naturally releases plenty of moisture on its own. If we also have cracks, small openings for electrical and plumbing, and possibly even leaks, the moisture and dampness will only increase, eventually producing unhealthy mold and mildew. 

Additionally, Middle Tennessee is one of the EPAs highest risks areas for radon gas, a colorless, odorless gas that is naturally produced when uranium (also naturally there) in the soil breaks down. Radon is toxic to humans and animals. In small amounts, it can cause headaches, nausea, dizziness, and breathing problems. Long-term exposure to radon can cause serious health concerns and is the second leading cause of lung cancer after smoking.

And all of these allergens and toxins are in the air you and your family breathe every day in your home.

Fortunately, Columbia Crawlspace has your solution. All these issues can be reduced or eliminated with crawlspace encapsulation.

When the professionals at Columbia CrawlSpace encapsulate the area under your home, we will inspect first for any existing moisture and mold/mildew issues and make repairs as necessary. Then we will completely seal the crawlspace with a polyurethane barrier covering the ground and walls, while also filling in cracks and gaps where moisture and critters may have been entering your home. If the area already has significant moisture problems, we may also recommend a crawlspace dehumidifier to ensure clean, dry air under your home.

And when you have clean, dry air under your home, you will have clean, dry air in your home. Clean, dry air in your home leads to healthy humans (and pets!). 

Contact our encapsulation experts at Columbia CrawlSpace today and you can be breathing clean, dry air in your home soon!