Do you have a crawl space or basement that is poorly insulated or has rodent-damaged insulation?
Does your crawl space have a dirt floor and open vents?
Are the floors above your crawl space or basement cold?
Do you have a crawl space or basement with no insulation?
Are your hardwood floors cupping?
Is the insulation in your basement or crawl space falling down?
Do you have a lot of spiders and/or rodents?
If you answered yes to any of these questions, your basement or crawl space may be overdue for a renovation.
The Benefits of Envirocare Crawl Space Renovation
Envirocare Pest Control provides a basement and crawl space renovation service that not only blocks rodents from gaining entrance to your home but also makes your home a warmer and healthier place to live.
Here are some of the benefits of our renovation system for both basements and crawl spaces:
- Reduction of rodent pathogens from fecal matter
- Less moisture and condensation
- Fewer insects that thrive in damp environments
- Warmer walls and floors, which saves you money year-round
- Reduction of rodent entrance areas
- Removal of odors left by rodent feces and moisture
- Sealing out rodents from the bottom up
- More space for storage (After using our system, some customers use the crawl space as a new storage area—it’s that clean!)
The Stack Effect
Before you make a decision to renovate a crawl space or basement, you need to know how the structure of your home works.
All houses operate on what is called the “stack effect.” Essentially, the stack effect means that everything in your basement or crawl space eventually moves upward. When you light a fire, what happens to the smoke? It all goes up the chimney due to drafting. Your home works the same way — everything in your crawl space or basement eventually makes its way upstairs by flowing through cracks and crevices that allow moisture, odors, pathogens and the like to escape- it’s why homes with crawl spaces and rodent-soiled insulation have odors.
If all that wasn’t enough, your basement and crawl space are also your first line of defense against the cold air. The coldest area of the basement is the outside walls. Inadequate insulation at the band joist allows cold air to infiltrate the basement or crawl space, making the upstairs much colder than it should be- losing you thousands of dollars in heat costs every year.
Many homes built before 1995 have a crawl space with a dirt floor and open vents. This presents a twofold problem. First, in the summer, warm air flows through the vents and mixes with the cold air rising from the dirt floor. The warm and cold air combine, forming water. Water makes mold and mold makes you sick- not a good thing.
The second issue is open vents. Open areas make an inefficient heat space during the winter. Think of it this way — would you leave your kitchen windows open in January? Probably not, so why leave your vents open year-round?
Last, crawl spaces are prime breeding grounds for insects and pests. Why? The answer is moisture. Moisture attracts unwanted creatures to the dark, tight areas of your home. Stop the moisture and you’ll see fewer bugs. Rodents nest in insulation and gain access to the basement and crawl space through hidden openings. We can seal those openings and keep them out and eliminate potential nesting areas.
The Solution
Now that we have identified the problems. Here’s how Envirocare Pest Control can solve them:
- We remove all the soiled floor insulation and install closed-cell foam at the band joist to seal out rodents and cold air.
- We clean droppings from the floor and disinfect all areas.
- We permanently fix termite-resistant 2.5″ thick foam boards to the walls (being careful to leave a gap for future termite inspections).
- We install a 20-millimeter-thick floor covering (dirt crawl spaces only) and permanently fasten it to the walls and floor. This will stop moisture from rising.
- We close all previously open vents with foam board so that cold and warm air can no longer infiltrate the area.
- We can install a sump pump in crawl spaces and permanently run a dehumidifier to it so that you don’t have to check it every week.
- We seal floor openings through the subfloor to prevent rodent entrance and air loss.
The cost of a crawl space or basement renovation can vary greatly and is totally dependent upon the size of the area to be renovated. The qualified technicians of Envirocare Pest Control provide a wide range of services to best meet your home’s needs. Call us at 888-879-6481 or send us an email to find out how we can make your home healthier to live in.
Please note: Our system can only be used in crawl spaces that have adequate access and have hollow block or concrete walls. We have different solutions for stone crawl spaces and historic homes.