Q: We were at a West Coast home show recently, and came across a company from Connecticut that provides "crawlspace encapsulation". They claim it virtually eliminates moisture and contaminants from entering your home, improves heating and air conditioning performance, and apparently eliminates the need for insulating the floor. The cost was upwards of $3.00 per square foot, which extends out to a serious number. What do you think?

A: I'm not specifically familiar with this product, so I won't include their company name in the newsletter. I checked out their website, and I still didn't get enough solid information that would allow me to really form an opinion. They have a Q&A section, but the questions seem carefully selected and there is some obvious bias in the answers.

In general, there are hundreds of companies offering products and methods for keeping a basement dry - some good, most not so good. I have never heard of a "crawlspace encapsulation", and I'm not clear what it is or why it would even be necessary. As far as insulation is concerned, I have never heard of a viable reason not to provide thermal insulation between heated living spaces and unheated spaces that are not used for living.

As I don't know the specific product I am not in a position to say anything positive or negative about it. However, there are an awful lot of products on the market that are at best useless, and at worst out-and-out scams that can harm your home, your wallet, and even your health. I would want a lot more information about this before I invested any money. With this or any product, you need to ask the tough questions and expect complete and honest answers.

Toward that end, the company representatives should be able to provide you with:

• Complete Product Information: What is this product? Exactly what does it contain, how is it applied, what is it supposed to do, and how does it do it?
• Testing Data: Watch out for throwaway terms like "virtually eliminates moisture and contaminates", and "improves heating system performance". You want complete testing data from independent labs; What was the moisture level to start with, and what was it brought down to? What contaminates were tested for? What levels existed prior to the testing, and what levels were shown after the testing? What is the energy usage data that shows that the heating system performance was improved? How, exactly, was the testing done, who monitored it, and was it done in a lab or under actual site conditions?
• Historical Data: How well does this product hold up over time? What are the exact dates of when it was installed, and then when it was re-tested? Were these aging tests in actual site conditions? Was the product subjected to the same conditions that will be present at your house?
• References: Don't settle for a quote in a brochure, like "John says: ‘The greatest product ever. I'm so glad I bought it.'" You want actual references from people in your area whose homes you can visit in person to see the product and find out first hand about the person's experiences with both the product and the company.
• Licensing Information: If the company selling the product is also either doing or subcontracting for the installation of the product, you want complete information on the company doing the application. They need to be licensed, bonded, and insured, and you need to verify that.
• MSDS: Get a Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) on all the components of the product.

Bottom line - If the company rep cannot or will not provide you with all of this information to your complete satisfaction, then save your money.


Protect your lungs! When working in a crawlspace or an attic - or, for that matter, anywhere on a construction site - a throwaway paper dust mask will help keep you from inhaling dust, sawdust, insulation fibers, and lots of other unpleasant things that are floating around in the air. And if the manufacturer of a particular product recommends using a specific type of respirator, pay attention!


encapsulation: In the construction field, encapsulation refers to the use of a sealer, chemical compound, or other product to completely cover and encase a surface to prevent the release or absorption of moisture, mold, gasses, or anything else that might be harmful to either the surface or the surrounding environment. Every week, find a lot more tips and in-depth information in my Improving Your Home Reports. Click the "Reports" link below for more details.

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