How Can Winterization Prevent Costly Problems

The process of winterizing your crawl space allows you to get ahead of the damage that can come with winter snow and spring run-off. The sooner you’re able to prevent that type of moisture from getting into your home, the better off you’re going to be when the worst of winter sets in. 

Protecting Your Crawl Space from Damage 

As mentioned, an unprotected crawl space can take on a considerable amount of damage in the coldest months of the year. That said, these problems are often just the beginning, when it comes to the effects cold weather can have on your crawl space. The longer you let damage sit in this space, the more likely it is that you’ll end up seeing comparable effects throughout your foundation. Your crawl space on its own may require repairs if it spends the winter unprotected. However, if it turns out that both your crawl space and your foundation are in need of repairs, you may end up paying not only for those restorative services but for a full foundation excavation as well. It’s often better, in light of the measures local contractors may have to go to, to invest in home winterization methods before the worst of the potential water damage can set in. 

The Winterization Process 

Your crawl space winterization process can be entirely personalized. More often than not, however, area contractors can recommend: 

• Sealing your rim joist. Your crawl space connects to your home’s foundation courtesy of your rim joist. That joist needs to be well-sealed throughout the year if you want to avoid unexpected leaks or damage. Come winter, an ill-fitting rim joist can not only allow moisture into your home, but it can also force warm air outdoors. At the same time, cooler air can more readily fill up your crawl space and make your home less pleasant to stay in. While winterizing your crawl space, professionals can help you determine whether or not your rim joist still connects with the rest of your foundation. If there are any problems, they can reseal any gaps that have emerged over the course of the year with foam insulation. 
• Insulating your crawl space. If you haven’t replaced or installed insulation in your crawl space recently, it’s possible your walls may have started to weaken. When you install insulation, you can not only keep warmer air inside of your home throughout the coldest months of the year, but you can also create a physical and chemical waterproofing barrier between your crawl space and the outdoors.
  To get ahead of the worst of your space’s potential damage, area professionals can install ExTremeBloc™ rigid foam insulation. This foam insulation will provide more comprehensive coverage for your crawl space than traditional fiberglass insulation. Typical fiberglass insulation can suffer almost immediate damage when exposed to unwanted moisture. Comparatively, ExTremeBloc™ does not lose its R-value over time, and it will not absorb the moisture that more readily damages fiberglass insulation. 
• Attending to your vents. If your crawl space happens to have vents, it’s likely that you’ve already encountered a variety of problems with moisture. A crawl space with open vents allows moisture and standing water into your home even when your crawl space is undamaged. Come winter, vents that are open or unsealed can continue to let that unwanted moisture indoors, be it in the form of rain, snow, or ice melt. If you have open vents, you can team up with our contractors to close and seal them before the worst of winter’s precipitation settles in. If you’ve closed your vents but are still seeing lower temperatures and higher humidity levels in your home than you’d like, there are solutions available to you as well.