Out of sight out of mind, right? You may think to yourself, “I never spend any time in my crawl space. Why would I care if it is damp?” But, the truth is that air in your crawlspace or basement can make its way up into your living space. Air at the lowest point in your structure naturally flows to upper levels, this is known as the “stack effect.”
Most crawl spaces have ventilation that allows air to flow freely in and out of the area. So, if the humidity outside is high, this means the air in your crawl space likely is as well. There are myriad problems this can cause for your home.
There are several benefits of having a dehumidifier in your crawl space, let’s take a look at the benefits of having a dehumidifier in your crawl space:
- Improved Air Quality: Improving the air quality in your home by using a dehumidifier in your crawl space or basement, you are taking an important step to protect the health of you and your loved ones. Homes with relatively high humidity can become a breeding ground for dust mites and mold. By using a dehumidifier in your crawl space, you are decreasing the moisture in the air and improving air quality. Improving indoor air quality through moisture control can reduce and perhaps even prevent some symptoms of allergies, including eye irritation, headaches, and respiratory issues.
- Efficient Use of Energy: Often the first instinct for home owners is to turn on the air conditioner to remove excess humidity in their homes. Unfortunately, this causes your energy bill to go up. Instead, by utilizing a dehumidifier in your crawl space you can maintain relative humidity levels at or below the recommended 60% during springtime, summertime, and the fall.
- Comfortable Living Spaces: High levels of humidity can leave you feeling hot and sticky, which lead you to decrease the temperature of the air conditioning unit to remove the humidity, which finds you feeling cold and clammy. By installing a dehumidifier in your crawl space, you can more easily control the humidity levels in your home to ensure that you and your family are always comfortable.
- Improve Structural Integrity: When humidity levels in your crawl space exceed 70%, this will most likely produce condensation, which increases the likelihood of wood rot. Wood rot is cause by condensation build up and then the wood in your crawl space becomes damaged. Wood rot can weaken the strength of the wood which results in the possibility that the wood will no longer be able to hold the weight of your home. A dehumidifier in your crawl space will help to protect your home from this moisture-induced wood rot and strengthen the foundation of your home.
- Pest Protection: Pests like rodents, termites, and other insects love excess moisture often found in crawlspaces. In fact, some pests like termites, mosquitoes, and silver wigs require excess humidity to survive. Dehumidifiers are a great tool to help remove any excess moisture inside your home that may be alluring to pests.
By having a dehumidifier installed into your crawl space, you decrease the moisture in the air and improve the air quality in your home.
Schedule Crawl Space Dehumidifier Installation Today
When it comes to installing the right dehumidifier for your basement or crawl space, there’s no one you can trust quite like BDB Waterproofing. Contact BDB Waterproofing at 402-779-3165 or use the contact form on our website.
