I'm dealing with a pretty terrible crawl space situation at my home in Georgia. It starts off with enough room to walk but quickly narrows down to the point where I have to crawl on my hands and knees. It's hot and humid down there, with some ventilation, but I think that's part of the problem. The insulated ductwork collects condensation, causing little pools of water to form, and some insulation even seems to soak it up like a sponge. I had the ductwork redone recently, but the issues have come back. I'm looking to get quotes for encapsulating the crawl space and adding a dehumidifier, but I'm unsure of the costs involved. Has anyone here done this before, or hired someone to do it? Also, would the price depend on the difficulty of working in the space, or is it mainly based on square footage? Any advice would be great! Thanks!
3 Answers
It sounds like you're addressing the wrong issue here. Those condensation problems shouldn't be happening with properly insulated ductwork – that's exactly what insulation is supposed to prevent. You might want to have someone take another look at that ductwork before moving on to encapsulation.
The cost to encapsulate will depend on a couple of things. One big factor is wrapping each cinderblock support in plastic, which is time-consuming. It also matters how much space you have to maneuver in there. For dehumidifiers, make sure to get one with a pump for dealing with condensation, and definitely have a licensed electrician set up a GFI receptacle under the house for safety.
I've encapsulated about eight crawl spaces, and it’s not that complicated if you know what you're doing. Just be wary, some well-known companies charge way too much for what they offer. Typically, I've spent about $8,000 to $9,000 for everything, including two helpers and materials. I learned a lot from DIY videos online. Just remember to use quality products and take your time with the installation.
Absolutely! I called the company that did my ductwork, and they mentioned that condensation shouldn't build up on the unit either. Definitely follow up with them!