So . . . What's a Homeowner to do About Their Moisture Problems?
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Determined to uncover the cause of our home's excessive moisture condition first so we could then weigh our remediation options, we poured over information from a variety of sources and in doing so learned about the "Stack Effect" - a naturally occurring phenomenon that draws the stale, repugnant, moisture-laden crawl space air up to the living area and into our lungs (wow - what a truly refreshing discovery....). After the subsequent and seemingly endless exhale of all the air in our lungs we proceeded to explore our potential solutions - both the well-advertised and otherwise - we arrived at the following short list. We did our due diligence, researched each possible course of action, made our decision and got to work. Please click on the options we considered below to learn more about our findings on each as well as the reasoning behind our final selection:
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All that moisture, all those odors and all of the harmful pollutants residing under your house are naturally flowing upwards, infiltrating and invading your living space!
This is the result of a naturally occurring phenomenom known as the "Stack Effect", also referred to as the "Chimney Effect".
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Possible Solution #1: Crank up the air conditioning in the summer, the heat in the winter, and just deal with it. "Moisture is as common to our region as black-eyed peas, palmetto trees and sweet teas. Adapt to it and move on. If it really bothers you that much then set your air conditioning to 68 in the summer and your heat to 75 in the winter. That'll surely take care of your humidity problems . . ."
This is wrong on so many levels, and unfortunately it's the most common path chosen because: 1) it's easy to just "set it and forget it", and 2) on the surface it seems to work because it does reduce relative humdity in the heated and cooled areas of the house. But all it's really doing - aside from running up ridiculous electric bills - is masking the moisture problems that would only continue to worsen in the untreated crawl space. We'd still be breathing that rancid crawl space air in our home's living area courtesy of the Stack Effect, and our house would be at a steadily worsening risk for moisture-induced structural damage including termite infestation.
Our Verdict on the "Just deal with it" Option:
"To the ultimate demise of our house, our health and our bank account??? Umm....No."
This is wrong on so many levels, and unfortunately it's the most common path chosen because: 1) it's easy to just "set it and forget it", and 2) on the surface it seems to work because it does reduce relative humdity in the heated and cooled areas of the house. But all it's really doing - aside from running up ridiculous electric bills - is masking the moisture problems that would only continue to worsen in the untreated crawl space. We'd still be breathing that rancid crawl space air in our home's living area courtesy of the Stack Effect, and our house would be at a steadily worsening risk for moisture-induced structural damage including termite infestation.
Our Verdict on the "Just deal with it" Option:
"To the ultimate demise of our house, our health and our bank account??? Umm....No."
Possible Solution #2: Attic Exhaust Fans. We know some homes with crawl spaces down here have them, but really? What better way to enhance the Stack Effect than to create suction from the top of the house and draw even more moist, polluted crawl space air up into our living space.
Our Verdict on the Attic Exhaust Fan Option:
"The mission was to dry out the entire structure and eradicate the dank, damp, odorous crawl space air, not draw more of it into our living area. As such this would not be a viable solution for our home."
Our Verdict on the Attic Exhaust Fan Option:
"The mission was to dry out the entire structure and eradicate the dank, damp, odorous crawl space air, not draw more of it into our living area. As such this would not be a viable solution for our home."
Possible Solution #3: Dehumidifier(s). Well, we used one of these in our previous home. They sure do create a lot of distilled water, but: 1) each unit only treats a specific area - we would need several dehumidifiers to accommodate the entire living space, 2) they use a lot of electricity, and with several of them running they would be very expensive to operate, 3) the same air is recycled continuously - there is no ventilation or air exchange involved, and 4) they either have to be emptied regularly or hooked up to drain lines (and we've experienced the messes they can cause when they leak).
Our Verdict on the Dehumidifier Option:
"Costly on an ongoing basis, high maintenance and most likely would not solve our air quality issues. Next..."
(Learn more about how dehumidifiers compare to Coastal Dry Home's Humidex™ solutions by clicking here.)
Our Verdict on the Dehumidifier Option:
"Costly on an ongoing basis, high maintenance and most likely would not solve our air quality issues. Next..."
(Learn more about how dehumidifiers compare to Coastal Dry Home's Humidex™ solutions by clicking here.)
Possible Solution #4: Crawl Space Encapsulation. In other words, seal off the entire area including all the vents thereby creating a completely self-contained crawl space. Sounded good initially until we got to thinking it through with some of the knowledge we had acquired in our general research. Just what kind of air would be permeating our living area from an unventilated crawl space that is nearly fully encased in plastic sheeting? We were told that a high capacity dehumidifier would be installed as part of the encapsulation to keep the space dry - and that's all well and good - but it would be recycling the same air over and over again without any opportunity for fresh or conditioned air to ever enter the crawl. To us it sounded like we'd have a subterranean dead zone - a toxic tomb. Plus that dehumidifier running 24/7 would be spinning our electric meter at a pretty good clip. So ultimately we were left uncertain in weighing the merits vs. the potential drawbacks of encapsulating, with a pretty hefty price tag for the job added to the mix.
Our Verdict on the Crawl Space Encapsulation Option:
"While we grasped much of the logic and science behind encapsulation, without continuous ventilation this would not be a viable solution for us as it could potentially exacerbate our indoor air quality issues and ultimately be a very expensive mistake for our particular situation."
(Read more about our Crawl Space Encapsulation decision-making journey by clicking here.)
Our Verdict on the Crawl Space Encapsulation Option:
"While we grasped much of the logic and science behind encapsulation, without continuous ventilation this would not be a viable solution for us as it could potentially exacerbate our indoor air quality issues and ultimately be a very expensive mistake for our particular situation."
(Read more about our Crawl Space Encapsulation decision-making journey by clicking here.)
Possible Solution #5: Crawl Space Ventilation Fans. So the plan here is to get the air circulating under the house by installing one or more of these exhaust fans in existing crawl space vents while leaving other vents open (we could also add an optional intake fan to increase the flow of outside air into the crawl space). Some are equipped with climate-based controls that affect fan operation (on/off) according to the humidity and/or temperature. The price seemed reasonable and installation would be relatively simple. The ventilation part of this option makes sense as the movement of air under the house would eliminate stagnancy, and mold loves stagnancy. But....we'd still have unconditioned and typically humid coastal SC air being drawn into the crawl and ultimately up into our living space. Consider this: Crawl space vents are located just above ground level where the dampest outdoor air settles, meaning that problematic heavy, moisture-laden air would continuously flow in and accumulate at the crawl space floor level rather than being exhausted out, thereby maintaining a very humid environment. So while we'd have a somewhat improved crawl space condition through ongoing ventilation, this solution would not go far towards eliminating our moisture-related issues.
Our Verdict on the Crawl Space Ventilation Fans Option:
"We were getting closer and could definitely see the merits of ventilation, but we needed to do something about getting rid of that heavy, damp, musty crawl space air and replacing it with fresh, clean air."
Our Verdict on the Crawl Space Ventilation Fans Option:
"We were getting closer and could definitely see the merits of ventilation, but we needed to do something about getting rid of that heavy, damp, musty crawl space air and replacing it with fresh, clean air."
Possible Solution #6: Mechanical Moisture Control & Ventilation by Humidex™. A complete and very affordable system that combines the benefits of sealing the crawl space from humid outside air with a ventilation/exhaust system, thereby ensuring that only fresh, clean, dry air is being breathed by all of us in the living area - our primary goal. The crawl space vents and any other openings are sealed and a vapor barrier consisting of readily available plastic sheeting is laid over the entire crawl space floor surface. The main unit draws air from the lowest point of the crawl space and expels it outdoors while a secondary booster unit installed in the floor above brings dry replenishment air from the house into the crawl space. A humidistat on the main unit is set to the desired humidity and once that level is achieved the system drops into maintenance mode. In theory the result should be a dry, healthy living area and crawl space devoid of musty odors and all other associated problems.
Our Verdict on the Mechanical Moisture Control & Ventilation Option:
"Hmm . . . An intriguing concept that makes a lot of sense and is worthy of more extensive research."
Our Verdict on the Mechanical Moisture Control & Ventilation Option:
"Hmm . . . An intriguing concept that makes a lot of sense and is worthy of more extensive research."
Finally . . . An Effective and Lasting Cure for the Moisture-Sick Home!
After extensive research that included speaking with the manufacturer's engineering department, reviewing their performance guarantee and perusing a number of reviews and testimonials we made our decision to purchase the Humidex™ Moisture Control & Ventilation system and install it ourselves - a moderately simple job for the handy homeowner who doesn't mind working in a damp, musty, cramped crawl space for several hours.
Within a few days of firing up the system with an initial humidity setting of 50% the results were astonishing! Gone was the persistent musty odor in both the house and the crawl space. No trace of the previously relentless mildew issues. The air in the house felt dry and our Heat Pumps were no longer running incessantly. But what finally sealed the deal was when our pest control guy came for the annual termite inspection a couple of weeks after installation and unsolicitedly remarked that ours was the driest crawl space he'd ever been in, and he's visited more than a few. (By the way, he also told us that termites would never thrive in such and environment as they need moisture and we didn't have any.)
A few things to take note of as we had these questions running through our minds prior to installation: 1) At maximum capacity the Humidex™ crawl space system only draws as much air as two bathroom fans - 180 cfm - so you may dispel any thoughts of your walls getting sucked inward and the house imploding. 2) Operating at top speed the total system uses just 76 Watts of electricity - similar to one incandescent light bulb. 3) Even though the system's booster unit is pulling conditioned air down from the living area to the crawl space our utility costs did not increase because the dry air in the house can be heated and cooled much more efficiently (per my science lesson). 4) As mentioned our crawl space is 1800 sq. ft. Our house is rather large at 3 stories tall and 5300 heated sq. ft. This one system easily handles the entire structure. 5) The booster fan pulling the replenishment air from the living area to the crawl space is accomplishing this through a register that we installed in our dining room. The fan is nearly silent, barely noticeable - you have to listen attentively in a quiet house to hear it.
So, here we are - owners of what once was a chronically ill, moisture-laden house that is now dry, odor-free and healthy thanks to this fabulous system. It was only through happenstance that we even found this product as Humidex™ does not have representation anywhere remotely close to our area. Well, until now, that is. We at CDH are very much about paying our home's good fortune forward by making the Humidex™ solutions locally available, thereby filling a real need for our neighbors here in this humid climate who deserve a healthy home environment.
Within a few days of firing up the system with an initial humidity setting of 50% the results were astonishing! Gone was the persistent musty odor in both the house and the crawl space. No trace of the previously relentless mildew issues. The air in the house felt dry and our Heat Pumps were no longer running incessantly. But what finally sealed the deal was when our pest control guy came for the annual termite inspection a couple of weeks after installation and unsolicitedly remarked that ours was the driest crawl space he'd ever been in, and he's visited more than a few. (By the way, he also told us that termites would never thrive in such and environment as they need moisture and we didn't have any.)
A few things to take note of as we had these questions running through our minds prior to installation: 1) At maximum capacity the Humidex™ crawl space system only draws as much air as two bathroom fans - 180 cfm - so you may dispel any thoughts of your walls getting sucked inward and the house imploding. 2) Operating at top speed the total system uses just 76 Watts of electricity - similar to one incandescent light bulb. 3) Even though the system's booster unit is pulling conditioned air down from the living area to the crawl space our utility costs did not increase because the dry air in the house can be heated and cooled much more efficiently (per my science lesson). 4) As mentioned our crawl space is 1800 sq. ft. Our house is rather large at 3 stories tall and 5300 heated sq. ft. This one system easily handles the entire structure. 5) The booster fan pulling the replenishment air from the living area to the crawl space is accomplishing this through a register that we installed in our dining room. The fan is nearly silent, barely noticeable - you have to listen attentively in a quiet house to hear it.
So, here we are - owners of what once was a chronically ill, moisture-laden house that is now dry, odor-free and healthy thanks to this fabulous system. It was only through happenstance that we even found this product as Humidex™ does not have representation anywhere remotely close to our area. Well, until now, that is. We at CDH are very much about paying our home's good fortune forward by making the Humidex™ solutions locally available, thereby filling a real need for our neighbors here in this humid climate who deserve a healthy home environment.
