Living in the great northwest, contractor Gale Culbert, owner of Ironwood Builders, has always had a concern about the effects of water on construction. While at the International Builders Show in Las Vegas this year, Gale came across a technique for sealing crawl spaces called Crawl Space Encapsulation.
   Dirt crawlspaces are never ending sources of moisture. Even if the dirt’s surface is dry, digging down a little bit reveals moist earth. Moisture ruins houses by providing a hospitable environment for the fungi, mold, and insects that destroy wood framing. Moisture in a crawlspace affects not only the floor systems directly above it but also the entire house. Warm air in a heated building rises. As it rises, replacement air is sucked from the lowest part of the house. This natural air movement, called the stack effect, is how chimneys work. Consequently, whatever is in the air at the lowest point eventually flows through the upper sections of living space. If mold spores and radon are present in the crawlspace, you can bet they’re in the living space as well.
   To avoid moisture’s negative effects, a crawlspace should be fully sealed and isolated from the ground and the outside.
   In addition to water vapor, many crawlspaces leak groundwater. Such cases require a drainage system appropriate to the details of the crawlspace.
   After flying back to the East Coast and observing the tremendous success this system offers, Gale became a dealer, calling his company “Clean Space Northwest,” a division of Ironwood Builders.
   The CleanSpace Crawl Space Encapsulation System completely isolates your home from the earth. This dramatically reduces the humidity level in the air, which will reduce or in most cases eliminate mold growth, rot and critters from your crawl space and make the whole house healthier.
   Gale’s trained installers will remove wood and organic materials from your crawl space floor. Rocks and uneven surfaces are leveled, depending on the crawl space conditions.
   Clean Space Northwest offers a 25-year warranty on the sealing liner, helping reduce humidity in a dirt crawlspace. The company also offers custom design solutions for any moisture situation. They may be reached at (360) 692-4294.