Benefits of a Vapor Barrier in your Crawl Space

Vapor Barrier Benefits

When building a house, one worry on your mind should be how to keep out moisture. Every material, including concrete, has a certain degree of permeability to moisture. It implies that to keep your house free of moisture, you require effective damp-proofing mechanisms. The materials you need for this task, which are usually foil sheet or plastic, are known as vapor barriers. Although these materials may not be exactly damp-proof, they help impede the penetration of moisture into your house.

Installing damp-resistant materials around your house will have various benefits:

Control of room temperature

If there is moisture in those crawlspaces, it is going to affect the temperatures in your house. It will either be too hot and stuffy or too cold. This is because the moisture may absorb all the warmth from the house or keep it from escaping. The presence of a vapor barrier will effectively seal those spaces, keeping your house warm.

Prevents dampness

Without vapor barriers, plenty of moisture is likely to seep into the walls and up the floor causing your house to be damp. The dampness may cause many problems that include rotting furniture, dropping of your house temperatures and giving rise to a foul smell. Vapor barriers reduce the likelihood of such problems as it inhibits the movement of moisture into your house.

Inhibits the growth of molds

Moisture creeping in through the crawlspaces may result into the growth of molds. This is because dampness creates the perfect environment for the growth of molds. If you seal these spaces with appropriate materials that inhibit movement of moisture, they will remain dry and mold won’t be able to grow in them.

Saves energy costs

Moisture seeping into your house would make it very cold. This would require you to spend more on energy as you try to tackle the problem by installing room heaters. Your electricity bills with skyrocket because more electricity is needed to keep the heating appliances working. Sealing crawlspaces with moisture-resistant materials is a perfect solution to this problem and will keep your energy costs down.

Extends the lifespan of your pipes

Crawlspaces often contain an assortment of pipes that supply water and power into your house. If moisture percolates through these spaces and gets to the pipes, they are likely to start rotting. This may lead to breakage or bursting of the pipes. Insulating the crawlspaces with vapor barriers keeps the pipes dry and increases their lifespan. This means that you will have less repair costs to worry about.