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For years termites have been the culprit of crawlspace “issues”. When honestly the termites were coming in the crawlspace due to the moisture and humidity levels. Reducing these 2 common Tennessee crawlspace problems can benefit you and your home. How would this benefit you?  Studies show that on average you breathe 40 to 50% of the air that’s in your crawlspace. So if you have a damp moldy crawl you can suffer from respiratory problems, asthma, and allergies. 

The ultimate fix to these issues would be to encapsulate the crawlspace and install a dehumidifier. 

When we are called out to do a crawlspace inspection we look for anything that might have or will create problems. From condensation, water intrusion, leaking pipes, termites, to animal infestation. 

Signs of water intrusion will either be large amounts of water standing in the crawlspace or staining on block foundation from high water levels at some point in time. 

Every house should have one of these and should be located in the lowest part of the crawl. If the grade of the crawlspace slopes correctly this will allow water to enter the crawlspace and travel correctly to and out via the positive drain. 

In this area we only deal with the Eastern Subterranean termites that only come from the ground up. They can enter a crawlspace in any  area by way of travel through shelter tubes(mud tunnels they build) up the block foundation or piers. 

Ants, mice and other pest can enter through the foundation vents or cracks/gaps where plumbing enter the house. 

100% Encapsulated!! 

Both are 100% suggested- it’s just which one do you need. 
Let’s start with Vapor Barrier. If the crawlspace has the perfect cross breeze through the foundation vents then the vapor barrier would be all you need. This is a moisture shield that blocks out the ground moisture. When installed it should cover the entire ground and leave a 5 to 8 inch gap from the block foundation. This allows moisture to bead up under the barrier and then with that gap lets it release near the foundation vents to expose to the outside. Also with it being short of the block foundation ensures that it won’t be the culprit of stopping water flow that might be entering and traveling to the positive drain.  Vapor barrier’s usually run .25 to .35 cents per sqft. 

Encapsulation- This is the ultimate fix to a crawlspace! With that being said it comes with a hefty price tag. Encapsulations can run from 5k to 25k with a yearly service fee of $150-$250. Of course square footage matters, but also whether it needs insulation pulled hauled away, fungus clean, fungus treatment, and whatever thickness plastic you choose to encapsulate with, then installation of the dehumidifier. Encapsulation consists of moisture barrier on the ground, barrier on the foundation block walls, and piers. We also overlap seams and tape them with a 4 inch tape, then we’ll foam board and seal all foundation vents and around pipes leading to the crawlspace.This method blocks out any moisture/humidity that tries to penetrate through. 

I would recommend having a crawlspace inspection once a year, and at the most every 2 years.

Make sure outside grade (mild incline) is flowing away from your foundation, and all gutter downspouts are ran at least 10 feet from the house. 

For moisture in a basement- if it’s an unfinished basement we offer Dry Loc. We would go in kill out any mold, mildew, seal cracks, then apply the Dry Loc. Dehumidifier could also help with pulling moisture out and air circulation. 

For termites in a basement, the only treatment that I recommend would be the Sentricon baiting system. This allows full termite coverage without drilling the foundation, and slab floors that could lead to water problems. Sentricon is placed on the exterior of the house, and acts as a Curative and preventative system.  Average cost for Sentricon in 2023 could range from $1,200 to 3,000. Sentricon is priced per linear feet. And yearly cost $280-350.

In some cases the water might flow to the lowest end of the house but sit stagnant for periods of time. This is what doesn’t need to happen. Sump pump would be installed to pump the water out to prevent the stagnant water. 

Curtain drains-  Unfortunately some house built will have a flat crawlspace with no active grade/slope to allow water to flow. This is where we go inside by the footer trench, pipe, gravel, and inside a sump pump. As water enters the crawl anywhere it hits the drainage pipe and leads to the sump pump. 

Servall offers Pest Control quarterly, bimonthly, and monthly services for residential and commercial. We also offer crawlspace repair’s which include floor joists, floor supports, fungal treatments, crawlspace clean outs, internal curtain drains, sump pumps, to full encapsulations with dehumidifiers. Servall is also known for Gutter repair or complete replacement from new construction to existing homes. We also offer a variety of gutter screens. Crawlspace encapsulation image below. 👇