Just a quick word about an issue with a once properly vented crawl space.
As I conduct my building envelope and indoor environmental assessments of homes with crawl spaces I often find that an addition has been added and a large section of the vented crawl space is now blocked. I often also find that some vents have simply been covered or sealed for various reasons. Regardless it's the partial blocking of the vents that cause the real IAQ issue which is the positive pressurizing of the crawl space when the wind is entering the open vents and not exiting the blocked vents.
You have all of the nastiness of an improperly vented crawl space now being forced into the home. This is not an issue that is seasonal or that comes and goes with the rain, it's simply based on the direction and severity of the wind.
The respirable particulate matter measured in the homes is often at levels that are extremely unhealthy. Unfortunately many of the occupants of an older Florida home with a crawl space issue can't afford to seal and condition their crawl space. Correcting the venting or mechanically venting is often the only choice financially.
Comments(0)