Monday, October 18, 2010

Crawl Space Encapsulation - The Final Step

Your crawlspace was damp and possibly even contaminated with mold, bugs or rodents and you have spent the money, took the time to clean it up, and went through the steps in placing a protective barrier, or you paid good money and hired a company who did this for you.

No crawlspace encapsulation is complete if the crawlspace door is not in perfect condition and proper working order. The door should remain closed and sealed at all times. Inspect your crawlspace door and if it is not staying closed you need to replace it now to protect your investment.

This is also a good time to prepare for the continued weather elements that the crawlspace door will be exposed to in the coming years and invest in a high quality crawlspace area wall cover to protect your investment of encapsulation.

Another consideration might be “how easy is it to access your crawlspace” with the current area wall that you have in place?

Enlarging your area wall access may also be something to consider. This will allow yourself or contractors doing work or inspections in your crawlspace easier access into the crawlspace.

Custom Covers, Inc. can design a cover to fit your existing area wall. We also stock crawlspace packages for customers or builders who are enlarging crawlspace area wall accesses. Our crawlspace package includes a new galvanized area wall and polycarbonate cover to fit.

How to Cover Your Crawlspace Well

Homeowners attempting to build a crawlspace area wall cover should address the following concerns when deciding on the design and materials to use. Using high quality building materials will increase the life of your cover saving you time, trouble and money in the long run.

1. The cover should be designed to fully enclose the area wall and crawlspace access door.

2. Material being used should not allow water to penetrate.

3. Material should be strong enough to support weight.

4. Material should be able to withstand temperature change.

5. Cover should be constructed so that it is aesthetically appealing, light weight for easy removal, include hardware that allows you to attach the cover to the well so it stays in place.

Custom Covers Inc. has been designing and building custom crawlspace and basement well covers since 2002. We have replaced several homeowners and builder’s covers built using wood or metal as the building material of choice. Wood or metal covers are a short term solution to covering a well that is constantly exposed to temperature and weather elements. Covers built using wood allow water to penetrate causing the wood to weaken and rot. Covers made out of metal; rust, weaken and are unattractive.

Our covers are built using ¼” polycarbonate material. Polycarbonate is durable and will support weight; it will not become brittle, crack or break when exposed to varying temperature changes. We are able to design covers of any size and offer a flat or sloped design crawlspace cover. All covers are shipped with mounting hardware and installation instructions.

Visit www.customcoversinc.com and provide us with your crawlspace dimensions, and a digital photo of the well you would like to cover. We will be happy to provide you with an estimate to fabricate your new crawlspace cover.

Monday, October 11, 2010

Enlarging Your Crawl Space Well for Easy Inspection and Maintenance

When it comes to home maintenance most homeowners do not think about visually inspecting their crawl spaces. This is an out of sight area of the home that is easily overlooked. This is also the darkest and dampest area of most homes that make it the ideal breeding ground for mold and pests.

Homeowners should inspect their crawl space regularly and visually inspect for the following:

1. Leaking pipes & standing water

2. Saturated floor joists or moisture standing on wood

3. Rotted wood or sagging floor beams

4. Loose duct work

5. Pests & Mold

6. Frayed electrical wires

7. Missing or loose insulation

8. Trash or debris left behind by hired workers

9. Proper fitting access door that remains closed and sealed

Let’s face it, the reason most homeowners over look this task is because the crawl space is generally hard to gain access into because of such a small access area wall and they are poorly lit.

Hired contractors having to access this area can also have difficulty maneuvering their body into the area wall and through the crawlspace door along with materials needed to make repairs.

Custom Covers, Inc. carries crawl space packages that allow homeowners to increase the size of the area wall making it easier to access the entrance into the crawl space. The package includes a new galvanized area wall and polycarbonate cover.

You may have already increased the size of your area wall to create easier access into your crawl space. Custom Covers Inc can fabricate a custom polycarbonate cover to fit your area wall dimensions, flat or sloped design crawl space covers are available.

Crawl spaces that are easily accessed will more likely be inspected and maintained!