Empowering homeowners in crawl space repair, encapsulation, and basement waterproofing is our mission. We strive to equip you with the knowledge needed for a seamless and effective repair, insulation, or waterproofing process, ensuring it's done right the first time.
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Do you service orange county virginia
this is awesome! thanks for posting!
I am looking at an older home with 24 inch CMU wall for foundation. Can this product be cut?
Yes it can!
Can you discharge the condensate line into the French drain system? Our crawlspace has formadrain and I wondered if we could just discharge into it?
Yes that should be no problem. We discharge our condensate pumps into the sump pump. I don't see how it's any different since I'm guessing it leads to a sump pump so it should work just fine. Thank you so much for watching.
Thanks!
Wow. Thank you so much!!
Thanks for watching! Do you have any questions about crawl space encapsulation or dealing with pests? Leave your thoughts in the comments below! If you found this video helpful, please give it a thumbs up, share it with your friends, and don't forget to subscribe for more tips on keeping your home healthy and pest-free! 🏠✨
Where can we find this part?
Contact the place you got the dehumidifier from, if it was us, here is a link: diy.crawlspaceninja.com/contact-us/ I hope that helps, thanks for watching.
where is the Radon coming from??
Usually right on comes from soil or material in the soil that off gas is radon. In some cases there's radon in water too.
My crawlspace has ICF foundation walls. Should the entire wall be covered with plastic for encapsulation? Also what is the best method of attaching the plastic to the foam walls of the ICF (tape, fasteners)? Located in southwest VA. Thanks!
So yes, For a full encapsulation the walls, floors, and pillars should be covered with the Vapor Barrier. The best method for long term security is using a fastening tool. We can help provide you all the materials! Contact us at [email protected]
Encapsulation does defer critters however I found it also facilitates the discovery of undiscovered entry points From experience, around the door, above the vents(builders leave gaps), utility entry points,and anywhere a crawlspace connects with a garage/basement/living space
Great information thank you for sharing. I appreciate you watching too.
I never kill these house centipedes. I have a plastic glass and a piece of card to slide underneath. I capture the creature and release outside in the long grass. Though it can get rid of pests in the house I am reluctant to leave it in case it gets trodden on or the dogs catch and chew it.
Thank you for sharing. And thank you for watching.
No, nothing totally stops critters! 😀 still trying to reduce soil gasses however.
Have you looked into a submembrane soil depressurization system or radon mitigation system under the plastic? Thanks for watching.
Can the Ecobee Smart Thermostat Premium control the ventilation separately from the dehumidifier? Since the the ecobee can detect poor air, I'd like it to control the ventilation.
Speaking with Aprilaire's Tech team will give you that answer. - 800-334-6011
You are awesome
You are very kind. Thanks for watching.
Hi there, I love your page and the info you’ve provided!! I’m worried about choosing someone to help me inspect the foundation and basement of a home I’m interested in. I didn’t see any of your locations near me. The house is in Meadville, PA. Is there anyone you can recommend to me?
Thank you so much. I appreciate you watching. I apologize but I do not know anyome in that area.
I'm assuming that a dehumidifier should be thrown out when using it to dehumidify an area that has mold.. after its been used and after the area has been remediated.. am I correct? Mold spores will accumulate in the dehumidifier in a situation like that.. makes sense to me, any insight for this?
The dehumidifier can be decontaminated using products that will not cause corrosion inside the dehumidifier. A lot of HVAC contractor products like coil cleaners address mold too. I hope that helps thanks for watching.
Hi! That is not correct. You can actually clean the dehumidifier and its components.
Can I do a home mold and wood rut fungus test myself? I bought the dehumidifier and my RH is still at 67% ( reading on the digital display on dehumidifier Unit) after running it for over a week now. Im still prepping my crawlspace.
Hi! Yes you can we offer Mold Test Kits. However make sure your crawl space does not have any outside elements and humidity trying to come inside which could be raising the RH level
I personally don't like fiberglass in the floor joists because it hides a lot of stuff. One time I was redoing the electric in an old house, and I hated that crawl space, mold and mouse turds in the fiberglass insulation, spiders everywhere, it had a weird odor, no plastic on the ground, no built-in lights, and in some spots, you could barely squeeze through while crawling. I will do anything in my power not to have a crawl space like that house I been to. In that house they also had a pot grow tent in a secret flap open door in a closet it had a thermometer and reflective walls and a fan, there was also a hypo needle in the attic (don't get me started on the attic). Keep in mind that this was a rental house. Just sharing a personal horror story.
Wow that's crazy. I can't believe you found all that stuff at a rental. Thank you so much for sharing and watching.
You guys are the best. So much info. I just had an addition added to the house with a crawl space. The contractor wants to know if I want to add closed cell spray foam to the walls. It is an unconditioned space that I was thinking of adding an Aprilaire Dehumidifier too. Would that be a correct path to follow? On Long Island NY. Thanks Waiting for a CSN sale to order.
You can certainly use closed cell spray foam on the walls of the crawl space. Just make sure they spray it thick enough to meet code. In our area it is R 10. We also like insulation vapor barrier or foam board if that is easier to install for you. I would certainly control humidity with a dehumidifier. Thank you so much for watching.
I am trying to insulate my crawl space (vented), same problem, it’s too low. I am planning to use 5 1/2” R23 Rockwool batts. I read that Rockwool doesn’t hold water & resistant to moisture. I think fiberglass insulation will fall apart in few years, can’t survive moist spaces. I think using batt insulation with paper backing can trap moisture, high risk for mold growth. I am concerned about insulting my crawl space. Hope I don’t create a bigger problem.
I have not used a lot of rockwool but I hear the same thing. It is moisture resistant as well as fire resistant from what I understand. I certainly would choose it over fiberglass insulation in your case. Keep us posted how it goes and thanks for watching.
I don't have 20 grand to encapsulate a crawlspace. I live in Indiana sometimes gets often humid should I just leave vents closed all year
If you have the ability in your budget to seal the vents and have ground plastic with a dehumidifier. That would be a great way to control humidity. I hope that helps and thanks for watching.
Have watched a few different HVAC repair videos in preparation for my own fix in our crawlspace; this was the most helpful ones. As payment, I am leaving the obligatory comment for the almighty algorithm to consume
That's great. Thank you for the payment of your algorithm comment. I'm glad the information was helpful to you. Thanks for watching. 😅
Michael, great content! Thanks.
Thank you so much. I appreciate the feedback and thanks for watching.
When your system will get clogged with sillt or clay or roots it is impossible to clean and must be replaced. Rigid pipes will be easily cleaned with water pressure or rotary tools.
The Hydraway has one of the best soil filters on the market. Installed properly it should have zero clogging over a very long period of time. I have not seen any perforated product that is easy to clean once it's installed in the ground.
When your system will get clogged with sillt or clay or roots it is impossible to clean and must be replaced. Rigid pipes will be easily cleaned with water pressure or rotary tools.
We have not found any pipe that is "easily cleaned" when roots and mud enter them. The Hydraway has much better filter media built in, therefore better protection and longer vs other pipes we have seen. Thanks for watching.
Do you work in Beech Mountain, North Carolina, we need help on the mountain with our crawl spaces?
Yes! Fill out this form and we will get you scheduled! - crawlspaceninja.com/free-assessment/
Thanks for sharing your knowledge with us. I buy all my supplies from you guys. Great products and prices.
Wow, thank you so much.
Was convinced that was the ice man himself, Wim Hof
Lol. Thanks for watching.
Will a dehumidifier work effectively without encapsulation?
Yes! However it will wear the dehumidifier out as it will try to dehumidifier the moisture in the ground and outside. So it may never turn off depending.
I know this is a bit of an older video, but I just came across it as I'm going down the rabbit hole of crawlspace encapsulation. We started looking at our crawl space earlier this summer after I had to get in there and fix some of the AC duct runs. What I saw in the process sent me up and down your playlist. What I noticed was a whole bunch of what appears to my untrained eye as, at best mildew and dirt, and at worst, mold. Some minor insulation stalactites and that stale musky smell. This 70-85% VA humidity isn't helping with the open vents. Anyway, long story short, this needs to be addressed but we also have an attic to deal with as well as HVAC, so the finances are getting stretched thin. I am hoping to be able to do this in stages and hopefully save a bit of money in the process. My plan is to add a dehumidifier + condensate pump, seal all but one vent with foam board and foam, and add a vent fan on the remaining vent to exhaust any soil gases. I am able to get the dehumi and pump at cost and was thinking either a E100 at a minimum or E130 (due to the high humidity and lack of full encapsulation) if I can get it to fit. It's a 1550sq ft space that's on average 2.5-3ft tall. Only form of moisture barrier is loose plastic they laid down when the house was built in '91. My thought is between running electrical, adding a dehumi, condensate pump and drain, blocking vents and installing a vent fan will get me started and save me some money when I have a company (I've sent out for a couple of quotes ranging from 9-15k) come in and do mold remediation, foam board wall insulation, possibly perimeter drainage, pull the joist insulation, and encapsulate with plastic. From your point of view, and I know it's not going to be exact since aren't able to lay eyes on or have all the details, is this an advisable approach? Thanks for all your content!
I think what you described is excellent. Our opinion is we should always address high humidity first. Also you cannot oversize a dehumidifier. I will say that I believe in e100 would be sufficient in your case because an e-130 is a massive dehumidifier. But as you said I have not seen how bad the situation is so if you feel the e130 is needed, then get that. Loose lay plastic and sealing the vents plus the dehumidifier should get the crawl space humidity under control which is the most important thing for us to do. Then everything else can be accomplished. The second thing would be addressing the mold. Or standing water depending on what your budget allows but if you could do both that would be great. I hope this helps thank you for watching.
If you were going to get a factory-built home in Florida, would you go modular or manufactured and how would you do the install (manufactured w/anchors and piers on a slab w/skirting, modular over an encapsulated crawl space, etc.)? Just found the channel, and have to say that if I could get away from having subfloor insulation at all (or make absolutely sure no critters get in), that sounds like the direction I want to go in. I want to be able to avoid nesting critters, see everything structural, see and access all utilities/floor penetrations. Thanks!
We should dive into this together. Feel free to submit a Ask a Ninja form here so we can have a conversation about this - crawlspaceninja.com/crawl-space-help-faq/
I'm on your site for encapsulation materials. Any chance of getting a full list of materials I need? I live in Virginia
Yes! Email us here - [email protected]
We have a crawl space with a few blockers for support of the house so it's not wide open. If we install a dehumidifier as close to the center and add a couple of small fans would that do the job? Maybe put the fans on a timer? We do also have digit sensors as well in a couple of places.
We may need more context about the crawl space for this. Feel free to submit a Ask a Ninja form here and we will email you! crawlspaceninja.com/crawl-space-help-faq/
Can you do a video on if a home is near the water table? Love the videos, thank you for all this information and expertise you share. Was going to install a french drain and sump inder an encapsulation but think a sump pump in my circumstance would run non stop with water seeping in from water level. (House is next to a lake)
Great suggestion!
I bought the Aprilaire E100. Its been running for 3 days straight. Humidity was 83% now at 69%. When should I have the company encapsulate my crawlspace? I have prepped as much as I can so far to save $
If you do not need mold remediation and everything is done in order to not cause damage to the plastic, you can have them encapsulate now. Great job getting everything ready. Thanks for watching.
Ok so. Cant find answers without a ton of 💰. so maybe you can advise me mr ninja. Buying a 1950 farm house. Crawl space is wet. Partially from a leak. Partially from ground. Got yellow fungi growing in rafters and black mold on block walls and the mushrooms are happy . Area is roughly 40x40 x21/2 tall(average). 1. What size dehu would you recommend. I wanna wait untill dried out some to put barrier down. Is that a correct process. What would be your remediation steps to take. Thanks
Hey contact us at [email protected] and we can assist you!
@CrawlSpaceNinja I was about to pull the trigger on encapsulating my crawl space but....I have a big rat problem in my crawl space. ALL of the insulation and vapor barrier were just removed and I am trying to decide which method to use for finishing up. Leave it uninsulated with no vapor barrier, reinstall fiberglass on the subfloor and ducts, spray foam on ducts and sub-floor or ENCAPSULATION (twice as much)$$$. A Pest Control company was just here and said Encapsulation is great for everything EXCEPT pests. The thick plastic sealed Vapor Barrier area prevents pest control people from seeing, termites, rodents, and bugs because they get under it and nest or burrow in places you cannot see. They can't inspect just below the mudline or under the vapor barrier. So, he's one guy saying don't do it. I don't see how he would be biased because it doesn't change as I have to have a pest control program no matter what. He could be wrong though but it seems reasonable. Also, he said he could not guarantee successful pest control with encapsulation. I just talked to my Insulation contractor and said yes encapsulation does make it harder for the pest control people especially if you have a rat problem. What's everyone take on this?
Encapsulation could make it harder however if sealed properly there shouldn't be any room for any pest to grow under the barrier It is typical for pest removal to be done before encapsulating
Are you sealing your crawl space correctly or unknowingly trapping harmful gases under your home? 🏠 Join us as Michael Church from Crawl Space Ninja uncovers the essential steps to proper crawl space encapsulation and humidity control. You'll learn why simply sealing your vents and installing a dehumidifier might not be enough, especially if soil gases like methane, carbon dioxide, or radon are lurking beneath your home. 🌬️
What do you recommend air sealing with and what's your thoughts on Attic Foil?
Can you provide a link for the solid 10 mil vapor barrier you recommend in your older videos. I don’t want to just rely on ordering from Amazon.
Here is the link to the vapor barrier we use. It is also the site for all our products - diy.crawlspaceninja.com/crawl-space-ninja-12-mil-crawl-space-vapor-barrier-1000-sqf/
When you say wall insulation, do you mean that instead of insulating the subfloor in the crawl space , you would inject insulation in the exterior and interior walls of a house that has already been built? Since the walls are sealed, you would blow in the insulation? What type and how deep? @CrawlSpaceNinja
No we are talking about foundation wall insulation. We attach foundation wall insulation to the crawl space or basement block or concrete walls. Thanks for watching, I hope that helps.
When we mention Wall Insulation. We mean apply Foam Board Insulation to the walls of the crawl space foundation walls. The Foam Board Insulation we use is a 2 inch thick board with a R Value of 10 and termite resistant. When doing this you do not have to install insulation within the subfloor.
Great info. Thanks.
Thank you. I am glad it helped.
What remedies can be done to control humidity in a vented crawl space with a vapor barrier until I can get the crawl space encapsulated?
You could seal the vents and install a dehumidifier and leave the old plastic in place. That will help a lot. I just left a home that did that and his humidity went from 80% to 55% pretty quick.
A dehumidifier will be the main source of regulating humidity. Humidity is enemy number 1 in encapsulation and waterproofing.
Do you have partners in canada
I am sorry we do not. Thanks for watching up there. We get a lot of viewers from Canada.
Not at this time
Hey Michael, trying to find out why my Santa Fe Dehumidifier is freezing up. I have a twice-a-year maintenance contract so it gets checked and the unit is cleaned. This last time, I noticed that the filter was put in backward. Could this cause the unit to freeze up? I have a Santa Fe Advanced90. Thanks
I am not sure if filter in wrong directions restricts air flow or not. If it is a new disposable it shouldn't. If it is a washable, you may want to replace it with a new one or get a filter with a lower MERV rating so it is not restricting the air as much. Hope that helps.
Santa Fe should be able to troubleshoot with you to provide accurate information based on what's going on.
Okay so I installed hydraway (doubled) around the entirety of the exterior footing but I’m still getting some (not too much) water coming in. Would a single run of hydraway be sufficient for the perimeter of the interior of the crawlspace? It’s so costly I’d really like to get away with not doubling up (plus less digging on my belly in the crawlspace. Have you seen it done? Is there a particular side I should face towards the footing? Thanks for all of the tips and gear!
I am glad it has helped. The manufacturer does recommend doubling but a single will move lots of water but the manufacturer does recommend doubling. Also, the side facing the footer does not matter. I hope that helps and thanks for watching and purchasing the Hydraway products.
How much cost difference is there between the two units?
Hi! Whatever the difference is we can make it better! Contact us at [email protected]
Great video. If you use ducting from your dehumidifier, how much pressure loss will occur is you need to run this duct 20 feet? Would it still be efficient and worth doing? Thanks
That depends on the dehumidifier's strength. If it is within the area it can cover typically. Then you can expect a stable pressure level
GAS-TOW'-NIEE-AH Gastonia, North Carolina
Thanks for watching.
Will just a high percentage of peroxide work?
Peroxide is very effective. This product is about 7.5% peroxide.
That won't be as potent. Check out this YCS data - chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/diy.crawlspaceninja.com/content/mold_products/YCS/Cleaner/YCS_Cleaner_Safety_Data_Sheet.pdf