Moisture Control
At Alta Pest Control, we know why and how pests operate. That's why we're so effective in ridding pests from homes. We're dedicated to an Integrated Pest Management Program that
targets all facets of the problem to give you peace of mind. That's why we offer moisture control services.
A fundamental requirement for effective pest management.
You're home may be providing an unseen, ideal environment for fungus, pests and termites which thrive in moist, warm conditions. Most homes have at least one area of excessive
moisture and it's usually out of sight. Small leaks, condensation, and periodic flooding can go unnoticed, but are very attractive environments for pests. Alta Pest Control can identify these areas and change the environment that draws pests into
your home.
You can't have a healthy house with a sick crawl space.
Many homes have full or partial crawl spaces that are havens for fungus, pests, and termites. Just a few feet below an immaculate living room, a crawl space may be an overly moist, under
ventilated area that reduces the effectiveness of your heating and cooling systems and offers a prime living space for pests.
While it is natural for homeowners to be reluctant to venture into these small dark places, Alta’s Field Inspectors are trained to conduct thorough home inspections. That's especially true in
these under structures. We have the proper equipment to conduct a complete pest inspection and we often find puddles of water, mold, mildew, and deteriorated insulation. Alta Pest Control can quickly and economically correct any deficiencies and eliminate the pest problem.
There are two main ways to control moisture in your crawl space:
Vapor Barriers
Vapor barriers are plastic liners that cover the dirt floor in crawl spaces. The purpose of a vapor barrier is to slow down moisture and vapors in the soil from getting into the crawl space. This
plastic stops at your crawl space’s columns and walls.
During vapor barrier installation, professionals will lay down 10mm of plastic throughout the whole crawl space floor. Installation of a dehumidifier isn’t required since your crawl space vents aren’t sealed. A sump pump installation isn’t required either. In some cases, depending on the crawl space, a home will require a sump pump.
Benefits of Vapor Barriers
Vapor barrier installation does offer a few benefits, such as:
- It provides your house with better air quality.
- You can store items in the crawl space.
- You can decrease mold problems in the crawl space by decreasing humidity.
- It saves you money on your monthly energy bill.
- Most inexpensive way to control minor moisture issues
Crawl Space Encapsulation
With crawl space encapsulation, a professional completely seals your whole crawl space in plastic, using a thicker 12 mm to 14 mm plastic instead of a thin layer of plastic. The thickness
isn’t the only difference, however. With this method, everything is sealed off and all openings and vents are closed.
You are required to have a dehumidifier and sump pump installed with encapsulation. The purpose of encapsulation is to decrease your crawl space’s moisture and decrease the risk of mold. It also provides your crawl space with cleaner air. Once the crawl space is encapsulated, it’s the perfect storage area because it will be totally clean.
Benefits of Encapsulation
There are numerous benefits of crawl space encapsulation, including:
- It saves money on your monthly energy bill.
- It provides you with better air quality.
- It reduces humidity.It decreases the risk of mold.
- It prevents hardwood floor problems (moisture from underneath your home could cause your floors to warp and buckle).
- It improves your home’s resale value.
- It helps cooling and heating ducts last longer (moisture from the crawl space could lead to
growth of mold, damage and rust in your duct work). - It helps to avoid infestations and pests (an unsealed, open crawl space is very attractive to all types of critters and pests).
Encapsulation helps keep these unwanted pests out of your home. While you might think vapor barriers are an ideal solution for keeping away the water vapor that makes its way into your house, they really only tackle the gaseous water vapor coming up through the soil. They don’t do much to fix the issue when other sources cause water to pool into your crawl space. Crawl space encapsulation is a much better option for these problems.
Encapsulation is different from vapor barriers because it seals out water vapor entirely and stops the process of moving water vapor from the ground up. Since the entire crawl space is
encapsulated, including walls, your risk of moisture problems from water vapor decreases to almost zero.
Also, encapsulation goes even further than simply keeping water vapor out. When you add in the insulation of crawl space encapsulation, it helps keep in the cool air in the summertime and the warm air in during the winter. This leaves you with a more energy-efficient and comfortable home throughout the year.
An encapsulated crawl space is also a very appealing feature when it comes time to sell your home. It shows potential buyers there aren’t any outstanding water issues they’ll be stuck
having to deal with, the air quality of the home is good and the home has a properly maintained foundation.
Does your home have a moisture problem?
We can give you a fast and free answer to your moisture control issues. Call us today or complete our free inspection request form to schedule your inspection. It's the best step you can take to protect your home.