Frequently asked questions
The questions that come up most on calls from around Sumner County, answered plainly.
How long does it take?
Two to four working days for most houses in Sumner County. The liner goes in quickly. What takes the time is hauling out what is already down there, treating framing that has grown something, and putting in any drainage that has to go first.
Will it help with the smell upstairs?
Usually, and sooner than people expect. A large share of the air in your living space is drawn up out of the crawl space, so a musty hallway is often the crawl space arriving upstairs.
Can I skip the dehumidifier?
Not in this climate. The liner stops moisture coming out of the ground and does nothing about what is already in the air or what comes in each time the hatch opens. Holding the space under about sixty percent relative humidity is what keeps growth from starting.
Does it help with the power bill?
Often, though nobody honest will promise a figure. Sealing the space and moving the insulation to the walls stops the floor acting as the boundary between your house and outdoor air, and the summer effect is usually more noticeable than the winter one.
Is a barrier as good as encapsulation?
No, and whoever tells you it is has decided which one they would rather sell you. A barrier handles moisture rising out of the ground. If humid air through open vents is what is wetting your framing, it does not touch that.
How thick should it be?
Code minimum tears the first time somebody crawls over it, which is why so many of the ones we find are already torn. Anything meant to last is considerably heavier, and sealed at the seams and up the walls rather than laid loose.
Can this be upgraded later?
Yes, and it is a sensible path. A properly installed heavy liner is the base layer of a full system, so sealing the vents and adding a dehumidifier later does not waste the money you spent now.
Why is my crawl space wetter in July than in February?
If you are near the lake, because the reservoir is held at summer pool and the groundwater around it sits higher with it. Rain is not the only thing feeding a crawl space in this county.
Do I need this before encapsulating?
If water stands under the house, yes. A liner laid over standing water traps it out of sight and lets it keep working on the joists.
Where should the discharge go?
Far enough from the foundation that it cannot find its way back, and never tied into a sanitary sewer. A line that ends beside the wall just recirculates the same water and makes the pump look undersized.
Is black growth on my joists dangerous?
No one can name a species from a photograph, and for deciding what to do it does not matter. If identification matters for a sale or a health question, pay for a sample. If something is growing, the space is too wet, and that is the finding that drives the work.
Can it be sprayed and sealed over?
Sealing over live growth does not kill it. Treatment comes first and the moisture has to be gone, or the liner simply gives it somewhere darker to carry on.
When does wood have to come out rather than be treated?
When it has lost strength. Surface growth on sound framing is treatable. Rot that a probe sinks into, especially at joist ends and the sill plate, is a repair rather than a cleaning.
Structure first or water first?
Diagnose both together and fix the water first where the schedule allows. New framing installed into a wet space starts the same clock that finished off the old framing.
Is sistering as good as replacing?
For a joist that has failed at one end, a correctly sized and fastened sister carries the load and costs a fraction of pulling up the floor. Replacement wins when a member is gone along its length, or when several in a row have gone together.
What humidity should it read?
Under about sixty percent relative humidity is the working target. Readings that stay above that through the summer are what let growth establish, whether or not water ever stands down there.
What moisture content is too high?
Framing below the high teens is generally considered dry. Sustained readings above roughly twenty percent are where decay fungi go to work, which is why a meter matters more than how the wood looks.
Is the inspection genuinely free?
Often, when it comes with a quote. Ask before you schedule and get it in writing, because free inspections that turn into a service charge on the doorstep are a known complaint in this trade.
Get a quote on your crawl space
Call and tell us what is going on with your crawl space and where the property is. You will get a straight answer on what it actually needs, from a licensed contractor working Sumner County.
Call (629) 318-0221