The Downside of Sealed Crawl Spaces
CALLING ALL HOME INSPECTORS AND BUILDERS. Give us a clue.
Which IS best, the sealed crawled space or the unsealed open to the elements crawl space???
Preston has come down on both sides. That is probably correct although my instinct is to want to know and not trust something we can't see. 
TRIP DOWN MEMORY LANE. As a child, I can recall crawling under my grandparents' home with my sister to get out of the heat and sun. "Watch out for snakes" was the only suggestion from my "know-It-all" teen age cousin.
O.K. snakes aside, I have had many home inspections performed over the years on homes with open or sealed crawl spaces and I come down on the open side. I WANT TO KNOW!!! Especially on resale properties.
The majority of homes in my area are either constructed with a basement foundation or on a slab. The crawl space foundation is rare but, especially in rural areas and older neighborhoods, we'll see them.
Termites have been discovered in both sealed and open. However, I have also experienced inspections where the buyer brought in a friend or relative to do the inspection and a sealed, or open foundation for that matter, was never entered. Now that buyer is making a big mistake but it happens.
So, which is best, OPEN OR SEALED FOUNDATION!
Courtesy, Lenn Harley, Broker, Homefinders.com, 800-711-7988.
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Charlotte Home Inspector Scott Walker was inspecting a 4 year old home Friday with a sealed crawl space when he found active termites coming up behind the walls of the insulation of the foundation wall. Normally termite treatements involve trenching treating an rodding the inner and outer foundation walls as well as drilling and treating each of the piers with hollow voids. The problem with the sealed crawl are that this type of treatment now becomes impossible without taking down some of the plastic compromising the sealing.
With that being said I have to say I am a big fan of sealed crawl spaces. I have seen hopelessly wet moldy crawl spaces transformed to dry clean safe crawl clean enough to eat off of. Also being a home inspector I would much rather crawl a sealed crawl space much rather than one that was not. There is a downside to the sealed crawl space though. If they get termites it become very hard to treat but it is possible.
Preston Sandlin and Home Inspection Carolina have providing thorough quality home inspections in the Charlotte NC area for over 15 years. Preston has a masters’ degree in Education and has taught Home Inspection classes for years. He also is a certified infrared thermographer. Home Inspection Carolina has been on TV many times and has a Charlotte Home Inspector radio show . So you are in need of a home inspection in Charlotte NC, Gastonia NC, Weddington NC, Mooresville NC, Fort Mill SC or Rock Hill SC call Home Inspection Carolina (704) 542-6575.
Preston Sandlin
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