Termites love moisture, dirt and wood. And chances are good that if your home has a crawl space it has all of these things.
Most crawl spaces are designed with dirt floors - since it's much cheaper for the builder - and open vents. Back in the day it was common practice to install crawl space vents. It was believed that the air flow would help keep the crawl space dry.
We now know that this just isn't true. Those open crawl space vents lead to moisture problems by contributing to the stack effect and letting water in.
And once you have moisture problems in your crawl space, you could end up with termites who will devour your wood floor supports and joists.
So how do you prevent the great termite invasion? The best way to deter a pest problem is to seal (a.k.a. encapsulate) your crawl space. To properly seal your crawl space you need to completely separate it from the outside elements. This involves:
- Installing a thick vapor barrier, like CleanSpace
- Sealing the crawl space vents and door
- If needed, install a sump pump or drainage system
- Install a method to condition and dry the air, like the SaniDry crawl space dehumidifier
Want to learn more? Check out Crawl Space Encapsulation vs Pest Control by Jesse Waltz, PE.
