Should I Really Encapsulate My Crawl Space?

August 21, 2021 | Dynamic Foundation eXperts | Encapsulation

Initial Signs: Stinky Home, Cracks, and Moisture

You’ve noticed that your home is stinky, cracks in your home, or moisture inside your crawl space. You contact a crawl space foundation repair specialist and they recommend crawl space encapsulation to fix your home’s mold, moisture, & settling issues that is occurring in your crawl space.

At this point, many people have different reactions, questions, and opinions. Some may question “Did our foundation specialist oversell our problem just to get another job?” Others may wonder, “My home has been here for decades; will my cracks, musty smell, or moisture REALLY get any worse than what it is now?” And others may think, “that problem seems too expensive to fix, I’ll just sell the home and let someone else deal with it!”

Our Philosophy at Dynamic Foundation eXperts: No Scare Tactics

At Dynamic Foundation eXperts we do not use any high-pressure sales tactics or scare tactics to try to win a job or sell you on work you do not need! Unfortunately, not all companies have the same mindset. We have run into countless customers that felt over pressured in the past by other foundation specialists or we have found that they were oversold on what their home needed to be stabilized & moisture-free. Our motto is the same, we create customized solutions for customers to FIX their homes. We don’t try to sell what will not benefit your home.

At Dynamic Foundation eXperts we also recognize that every customer’s situation is not the same. We take this into consideration when designing our repair plans and options for our customers to help suit their future home plans so that we can benefit & accommodate our customers as much as possible.

Risks of Ignoring Crawl Space Issues: Why Encapsulate Now

Many people who have noticed moisture issues & foundation issues in their crawl space received a quote for a crawl space encapsulation and deferred getting any work completed. Often the mindset is, “it hasn’t been a problem for decades, it shouldn’t get any worse.” However, home moisture issues are not just ‘rinse & repeat’ – they are cumulative. Meaning that every time your home is flooded or is exposed to excessive moisture in the crawlspace, it is attacking your home.

The Consequences of Deferred Encapsulation

Moisture in the soil will continue to cause your foundation footer and piers to settle, resulting in more cracks in your home. Moisture in the soil and your crawl space vapor space will continue to fuel mold growth. Obviously, the mold growth is terrible for your health as at least 50% of your home’s indoor air is from the crawl space.

Unfortunately, we have completed way too many jobs that were previously identified but deferred for an extended period of time. The more damage that progresses means to more expensive the job will be. On average, these customers could have saved 15-25% on their repair plans by not deferring fixing the problem. In some cases, we have even seen 100+% increased costs due to the damage that has occurred and increased scope requirement. Simply put, foundation & crawl space moisture problems can only get worse if you do nothing.

The Impact on Real Estate Deals: Encapsulate Before Selling

Many clients think about just passing the problem onto the next homeowner, thinking their crawl space moisture issues will go unnoticed. However, we provide many quotes to clients during a real estate deal because the buyer’s inspector has found crawl space moisture issues and foundation settling. This adds a lot of stress and anxiety to a real estate deal.

The Reality of Encapsulation: Pay Now or Pay More Later

Often, people don’t want to buy a house if it has existing crawl space moisture issues – unless they are getting a major discount on the home purchase price (usually much greater than what it costs to fix because the uncertainty for the buyer to fix after closing). The other scenario that plays out is the seller having to get a crawl space encapsulation (and/or any other required repair scope) completed before the buyer will close on the home. This adds a lot of stress to buyers and sellers due to the timing, coordination, and agreements required to align for a successful closing.

Our Promise: Peace of Mind with Encapsulation

Unfortunately, with crawl space moisture problems and home foundation problems, you can either ‘pay it now, or pay even more later.

Dynamic Foundation eXperts provides solutions to fix your home and backs it with our industry-leading warranties. Our solutions give you peace of mind by making your home solid for decades to come, increasing your home’s value, and reducing the stress and anxiety if you ever decide to sell your home.

Before & After