Conditioned & Closed Crawl Space

Many homes built on crawl space foundations in the Piedmont Triad area of North Carolina (and the Southeast in general), suffer from poor moisture management. Some of the more common symptoms of a crawl space moisture problem are:

• Condensation ("sweating") on air conditioning duct work or equipment
• Condensation on insulation, water pipes or truss plates in the crawl space
• Puddled condensation water in the crawl space area
• Mold or moisture damage in the crawl space or living area
• Musty odors in the living area
• Buckled/Damaged hardwood floors
• High humidity in the living areas of the home
• Insect infestations
• Rot in wooden framing members

These symptoms are most often noticed in the humid spring and summer seasons but can also occur at any other time. Often, the heating and air conditioning (HVAC) contractor is the first person the homeowner calls to deal with the problem. Typically though, the problem is not due to a failure of the HVAC; it results from poor moisture control in the crawl space.

Today's building codes and conventional wisdom have prescribed ventilation with outside air as the primary method of moisture control in residential crawl spaces. In the humid Southeast, however, ventilation with outside air only makes moisture problems worse. Recent independent studies has revealed that a new type of crawl space system, with NO vents to the outside, can provide greatly improved moisture control and significant energy savings when properly installed.

A description of crawl spaces are as follows:

CLOSED CRAWL SPACE
A foundation without wall vents that uses air sealed walls, ground and foundation moisture control, and mechanical drying potential to control crawl space moisture. Insulation may be located at the floor level or at the exterior walls.

CONDITIONED CRAWL SPACE
A conditioned crawl space is a foundation without wall vents that encloses an intentionally heated and/or cooled space. Insulation is located at the exterior walls.

WALL VENTED CRAWL SPACE
A foundation that uses foundation wall vents as a primary means to control space moisture. Insulation is located at the floor level.

Affordable Moisture & Energy's Closed Crawl Space Solutions

Affordable Moisture & Energy Solutions is North Carolina's Closed Crawl Space Specialist. We meet and exceed every detail in the North Carolina Structural Building Code for Closed Crawl Spaces. We fully understand every detail behind the science of the Closed Crawl Space. We offer a FULL lifetime warranty on EVERY Closed Crawl Space job that we perform (requires service contract).

Our typical floor liner is 12 mil, however; we do offer a 20 mil liner for certain environments. Either choice includes a 6 mil wall liner that covers the foundation wall of the crawl space from 3" below the seal plate to 18" of the crawl space floor. We use an adhesive that is labeled for sealing the wall liner preventing the passage of moisture, as well as radon gas from the top of the wall liner. We also use Hilti fasteners that hold the wall liner in place. Over the top of the wall liner A.M.E. Solutions installs a R10 insulation board called Borafoam that is treated with a borate. Borate is used in the pest control industry to treat for termites, powder post beetles, carpenter Ants as well as many other pest. The Borafoam R10 insulation also includes a 3 mil poly cover on each side providing an additional 6 mil of protection from moisture for a total of 12 mil coverage on the foundation wall.

A.M.E. Solutions in addition to the Borafoam R10 Insulation seals the joins and seams where the insulation meets with Hilti Foam Insulation. We use the same Hilti Foam insulation to insulate the seal plate of the home at the top and bottom as well as all cracks, and crevices where outside air can enter. included are pipe entrance points, cable entrance points, and electrical entrance points, and the framing of the crawl space door.

After the wall liner and R10 Borafoam insulation have been installed, we install the floor liner of your choice. The floor liner covers 100% of the crawl space floor. We overlap all joining pieces 12" as well as hold the floor liner in place with ground staples. Every ground staple is covered with 4" seam tape and all overlaps are covered with 4" seam tape. The ground liner is seamed to the wall liner and provides a total coverage of the walls, floor, and piers preventing any ground moisture from entering the crawl space.

Once the floor liner, wall liner, and the Borafoam insulation is installed, A.M.E. Solutions installs a crawl space dehumidifier, and a supply air inducer. This device attached to the supply side of the duct work will introduce a small amount of conditioned air into the crawl space to help regulate the relative humidity. It includes a back flow damper to keep any bad air from entering the system.

When complete Affordable Moisture & Energy Solutions will for the length of the warranty replace or repair at no cost to the homeowner ANY floor, or wall liner that becomes defective , accidently ripped, or punctured (for any reason other than intentional abuse.) We will Replace or repair ANY accidental damaged, or fallen insulation board, as well as guarantee the relative humidity to remain at ALL times below 70% and the wood moisture at ALL times to remain below 17%.

We also include with every closed crawl space a Wireless Thermo-Hygrometer that allows you from inside your living space of the home to see the relative humidity, temperature, and wood moisture at all times. The hygrometer is set with an alarm to sound if any of the readings rise above the guaranteed levels. Every home that has a pre existing moisture problem is remediated, slow dried to prevent any damage to the structure as moisture is removed. Once the proper moisture level is obtained we will visit the property one time per year to inspect the job to ensure that all is well. We do this at no cost to you for the full length of the warranty period. You may also call us at any time to check or repair any problem or damage that may occur at no additional charge.

Inside of every crawl space that we close we provide a laminated note explaining to all who enter that if for any reason damage occurs to the floor, wall liner, or insulation to please mark the damaged area with the magic marker provided and changed out yearly by A.M.E Solutions as well as email or call us to report the damage. All we need is the address. We do not ask for a name number or any explanation of why or how the damage occurred. When notified A.M.E Solutions will respond within 48 hours to repair or replace the damage at no cost to the homeowner. The only reason we are able to give this type of warranty without exclusions is the absolute faith in our product, our employees, and the quality of our Closed Crawl Space Job.

Every Closed crawl space job that is performed by A.M.E Solutions is done with Alteration permit pulled at your local city office, and will be inspected by a North Carolina Code Enforcement Officer to give you the piece of mind to know that your job was done to specifications of the North Carolina Building Code.

To get a free estimate, a list of references in your community of Closed Crawl Space Customers, or to have a Certified inspector perform a general inspection of your property, please call (336) 471-0058 or email info@closedcrawlspace.com.

And remember Affordable Moisture & Energy Solutions guarantees the highest quality, and the lowest investment, or we will pay you for your time.

 

Other Written Recommendations

This page lists materials and information generated by Advanced Energy research projects, diagnostic investigations and collaboration with a variety of professional installers and consultants across the country. We hope this information can help you to improve your existing crawl space or to design and install a properly-closed new crawl space.

Closed Crawl Spaces: A Quick Reference for the Southeast
The quick reference summarizes the design elements and installation steps that are discussed in the full 75-page guide below. The quick reference also includes two example designs from the guide.

Closed Crawl Spaces: An Introduction for the Southeast
This 75-page guide is an introductory reference to crawl space issues:

• Design and implementation recommendations for closed crawl spaces
• Four sample closed crawl space designs and a sample construction sequence
• An overview of NC residential code requirements and issues
• Recommendations for improving existing wall-vented crawl spaces
• A summary of Advanced Energy's crawl space research results
• Answers to frequently asked questions about mold in crawl spaces