Memorial Day weekend in Northeast Arkansas means one thing: humidity season is officially here. If your crawl space doesn't have proper vapor control, you're about to find out the expensive way.
Moisture from the ground rises through concrete and dirt floors year-round, but summer's heat accelerates everything. Without a 6-mil poly barrier or encapsulation system, that moisture hits your floor joists, insulation, and HVAC ducts. Result? Mold, rot, and sky-high cooling bills.
Here's what we see in Jonesboro crawl spaces every June: R-19 fiberglass batts sagging like wet towels, wooden beams with soft spots, and ductwork sweating so hard it's dripping. One customer on Red Wolf Boulevard had 40% of their cool air leaking into a soggy crawl space.
The IRC requires vapor retarders in crawl spaces (Section R408.2), but code minimum isn't always enough. A full encapsulation with sealed 12-mil liner, closed-cell foam on walls, and conditioned air circulation costs more upfront but pays back through lower energy bills and zero moisture problems.
Best time to tackle this? Right now, before the real heat arrives. Once it's 95°F and humid, nobody wants to crawl around down there fixing problems that should've been prevented.
Seen water stains on your crawl space walls or musty smells upstairs? Reply or DM us for a free moisture assessment.