Crawl spaces are notorious for being damp, but there’s a way to combat it. Moisture may damage the supporting structure of your house and may result in harmful mold growth, which can affect one’s overall health condition. Fortunately, for crawl spaces, you can use dehumidifiers to keep the moisture and humidity under control.
As the air rises in a house, it also carries the air from the crawl space. It includes mold spores and moisture and other airborne particles down there. As that air rises, replacement air is actually drawn through the vents.
This kind of replacement air is basically made up of the unconditioned outside air, which enters through leaks and vents. The natural upward movement of the air is known as the stack effect, which is a bit similar to how chimneys work.
Due to this, regardless of what it’s in the air at your crawl space will eventually flow up to the living areas. Half of the air you breathe on your home’s first floor comes from your crawl space.
The dirt crawl space with some open crawl space vents is actually a never-ending moisture source. Although the surface of the dirt is dry, digging down several inches will lead you to moisture. This moisture is released constantly in the crawl space.
Advantages of Having a Regular Dehumidifier in a Crawl Space
If you are living in a place with a humid climate or have a small living space with limited ventilation like a crawl space, the best dehumidifier will make your house less hospitable to allergies such as mildew, mold, and dust mites through reducing the levels of humidity.
Dehumidifiers can also lessen irritation to your respiratory system and skin, enabling you to breathe much easier, save energy, and help protect your property’s structural integrity.
Below are some of the perks of placing a dehumidifier in crawl space:
1. Pest Protection
If moisture is controlled well in your crawl space through the use of a dehumidifier, you will not only be able to protect your health but also you are protecting against pests. Controlling moisture in air lessens the chances of pest infestations that can cause more damage to houses than fires and storms combined.
2. Health Protection
Once you improve your home’s air quality through the use of a dehumidifier in your basement or crawl space, you are protecting your health. If your house experiences a high level of humidity, it becomes a petri dish for the mold and dust mites.
Through the use of a dehumidifier in the crawl space, you’re decreasing the moisture and enhancing the quality of indoor air. With improved air quality through controlling moisture, it can reduce and prevent symptoms of allergies such as respiratory problems, headaches, and eye irritation.
3. Energy Efficiency
If your solution is to turn on your AC to get rid of the excess humidity in your house, you will wind up causing your monthly energy bill to increase since more air means more energy.
If you’re using a dehumidifier in a crawl space, rather than turning on your air conditioner, you may keep the relative humidity level below or at the recommended sixty percent during summertime, springtime, and fall.
4. Provides More Comfort to Living Space
High humidity levels may affect the comfort levels of your house by making you and your family members feel sticky and hot. If you lessen the AC’s temperature to get rid of the humidity, you will just end up having a clammy and cold environment.
If you will consider installing a dehumidifier in a crawl space, you may control the levels of humidity in your house to make sure that you and your family are comfortable as always.
What is more is that through the use of a dehumidifier in a crawl space, you will feel comfortable at high temperature, which can help you save more money on your energy consumption.
5. Improves Structural Integrity
If your crawl space’s relative humidity levels exceed seventy percent, it is most likely would produce condensation that increases the possibilities of wood rot. It’s when the content of moisture in the air is at least 28 percent and happens when liquid water is absorbed by the wood.
If your crawl space caused damaged wood, there is a possibility that it won’t hold the weight of your house, which can affect its structural integrity. With a dehumidifier, it can protect your house from this problem and improve your property’s foundation or structure.
What’s the Best Dehumidifier for Any Crawl Space?
There are numerous dehumidifiers you can use for your crawl space. If you are confused with the available options in the market, it is always best to shop around first and make a comparison. Through this, you will be able to determine what’s ideal for your crawl space.
When shopping around, know the size of your crawl space. Make sure that your chosen dehumidifier is not too big or too small to fit in your crawl space. The size determines the unit’s effectiveness in controlling the crawl space humidity level.
If it is your first time to buy a dehumidifier for your crawl space, you can always ask for assistance from the experts in this niche. You may also read some reviews of people who bought dehumidifiers for their crawl space.
Other Ways to Prevent the Humidity in Crawl Space
If you’re experiencing high humidity levels in crawl space, there are some solutions you may take for consideration when dealing with humidity before it results in structural damage or mold growth.
Several solutions to deal with crawl space humidity problems are as simple as installing dehumidifiers. Some options include installing a vapor barrier in your crawl space, which addresses your landscaping’s grade or guttering rainwater away properly from the property.
If you have done everything to solve the problem with your crawl space humidity level, you can always ask for assistance from crawl space service experts.
