About Crawl Space Ventilation And That Nasty Musty Basement Smell

Many homes suffer from a lack of crawl space ventilation, and the nasty musty basement smell that usually accompanies it. This can cause many structural problems, as well as affect the health and welfare of the family.
If you could simply add numerous vents along the foundation of the house, you would certainly have adequate ventilation, but you would also have a huge heat loss in the winter and heat gain in the summer.
With heating and cooling costs going up every year, this is a serious consideration. Having a cold floor in the winter is certainly no fun, and getting sky-high electric bills can be very discouraging.
A common misconception is that the moisture in the crawl space primarily enters from the atmosphere outside the house. While this certainly contributes to the problem, the primary source of moisture is from the ground under the house.
One very effective method for minimizing the humidity is to lay down polyethylene barrier sheet on the ground. This must be done correctly, otherwise you risk creating some new problems. Be sure there are no holes in the plastic and that it seals up against the walls, all the way to the floor above.
If this is not done carefully, you can get little varmints and ants dwelling in this nicely sealed space. Some areas have specific building codes that should be adhered to.
Next, add vents on the outside walls, making sure to add wire screen to the outside so no little creatures, such as mice, can come in for a visit. This method ensures that ground moisture cannot enter the house and crawl space, thus reducing the humidity level.
This problem varies significantly, depending on which area of the country you live in. In the arid Southwest, there is rarely a problem with crawl space ventilation, it is just too dry to begin with.
On the other hand, if you live in Louisiana you are going to have to address this problem sooner or later. Some older homes were built to eliminate this situation, and it is a good idea to check out how other people have managed this over the years.
One thing for sure, it is in your own best interest to practice water damage prevention before it starts. Once black mold and mildew have started growing, it takes a lot of effort and time to get rid of them.
If you smell that musty basement smell, or you have coughing, sneezing, headaches, aching joints, or a runny nose when you are exposed to the crawl space air, do something.
Things left to themselves tend to decay, and this applies with any type of house maintenance. An ounce of prevention is worth at least a pound of cure. It is always much easier to deal with problems when they are small, once your house is damaged, you can incur some serious expenses. Since your home is probably your most expensive possession, it is wise to do all you can to protect it, as well as the health of your family.