How a Crawl Space Dehumidifier Benefits Your Home

 

If your home’s air holds excessive moisture, it will feel damp and smell musty. This situation often arises due to a moist crawl space or basement and the resulting mold and mildew growth. Excessive humidity not only creates an uncomfortable space but also a hazard to your health and property. Yet installing a high-performance crawl space dehumidifier—such as the energy-efficient SaniDry™ Sedona—can prevent mold and mildew, eliminate odors, repel pests, and protect your health and property.

 

NV Waterproofing & Foundation Repair can install such a device for you. Since 1986, our team has provided crawl space waterproofing, structural repairs, and thermal insulation services. We’ve received hundreds of positive testimonials on Best Pick Reports and Angie's List, and you can rest assured that we’ll protect your home’s basement, crawl space, or foundation. For a free, no-obligation estimate, call us today at 1-703-690-3889.

 

Below, we discuss the benefits of having a dehumidifier installed in your crawl space and describe our recommended model:

Prevents Mold & Mildew 

The ideal relative humidity level for mold and mildew growth is above 50%, but unconditioned crawl space air can reach that point easily on a summer day. Any organic, dead, and wet materials then serve as food for mold. Unfortunately, many load-bearing girders and floor joists check all of these boxes.

 

Left unaddressed, persistent mold growth will damage the load-bearing structural elements. Addressing this problem requires joist replacement. Yet a crawl space dehumidifier can help establish a balanced environment, one that discourages mold and mildew growth.

Eliminates Musty Odors 

A distinct sign you need a dehumidifier is the presence of humid, odorous air in your home’s living spaces. Indeed, you might notice the smell in a finished basement or your living room. Still, a high-performance dehumidifier can reduce crawl space humidity and prevent further mold and mildew growth, stopping the musty odors at their source.

Protects Your Health

Mold’s reproductive process involves releasing microscopic spores into the air. When inhaled, they can trigger allergic reactions and asthma irritation. Moreover, these airborne organisms can cause respiratory ailments—including asthma—even in those without allergic responses. Effective dehumidifying in a crawl space removes this source of indoor air pollution. 

Protects Your Property

Excessive crawl space humidity can also cause deterioration of structural elements and furnishings. Too much moisture may erode joists and girders. Even worse, any belongings—perhaps irreplaceable—stored in the basement, or even upstairs, can suffer damage. Moisture attacks and affects paper, cardboard, and cloth in particular.

Repels Pests

Mold and mildew are not the only living things that enjoy humid crawl spaces—pests do as well. Dust mites, the top cause of year-round allergies, need over 50% relative humidity to live. They can live on the carpet, furniture, and bedding, though they need the humid air that rises from the crawl space to live.

 

Mice, rats, snakes, and other creatures, however, enjoy living in a humid crawl space. Still, a dehumidifier creates a less favorable environment for all these pests.

The SaniDry™ Sedona Dehumidifier

Speaking of humidifiers, you should know upfront that not all models are created equal. A standard “living space” dehumidifier would fail to manage the humidity in a crawl space. For this reason, manufacturers design dehumidifiers specifically for spaces beneath homes.

 

The SaniDry™ Sedona dehumidifier stands out from among those models. It is both high-capacity and high-efficiency, eliminating the environment in which mold can grow and musty odors appear. Moreover, it comes standard with an automatic drain and humidity sensor. Once installed, it operates without any oversight.

Hire a Technician for Crawl Space Dehumidifier Installation

Dehumidification offers an effective way to combat humidity in your crawl space and its effects on your home. Indeed, establishing an ideal relative humidity level below your home can improve the air quality in its living spaces. NV Waterproofing & Foundation Repair can evaluate your crawl space, offer suggestions on how to protect it, and install a crawl space dehumidifier. We are a top-rated provider of basement waterproofing and foundation repair services. Protect your property and your health: call us today at 1-703-690-3889 for a free project estimate.