Healthy Homes from the Ground Up
Franklin Energy and Energize Delaware would like to recognize Seaside Environmental for providing Delaware communities with healthier homes and peace of mind by way of their trademark crawlspace encapsulations. Nick Luzak founded Seaside Environmental in 2014, after working within the crawlspace industry alongside his father, Allen, from the age of 14 years old. The two of them continue to partner together within our Home Performance Program. Developing Seaside’s system of encapsulation over the years, Nick’s attention to detail and overall understanding of the science behind the crawl space enables him to offer his customer’s a full-proof solution to any of their crawlspace needs.
A healthy home starts at the foundation. In the Mid-Atlantic region, vented crawlspaces are the dominant foundation type and create an environment that is conducive to mold growth. Mold growth is a major contributor to indoor air quality issues within the living space.
With open foundation vents, the ‘old science’ suggests that outside air would enter the crawl, pick up the moisture and cross ventilate the space. However, when the outside humidity and dew point temperatures are high, the crawlspace becomes vulnerable to moisture issues. As the humid summer air enters the crawlspace through the open vents, the air begins to cool and contract. As it does, the water vapor has no choice but to condense on all surfaces whose temperature is below the dew point. Duct work and cold-water pipes are generally the first to become saturated and contribute to puddling throughout the crawlspace. Ultimately, the porous wood of the floor above the crawlspace absorbs much of this moisture. When humidity elevates over 60% and wood moisture content (WMC) elevates over 15%, the environment is ripe for mold growth. By encapsulating the crawlspace and eliminating moisture sources, the house itself becomes healthier, providing its occupants with a much healthier home.
Seaside Environmental follows a precise course of action when encapsulating a customer’s crawlspace. Once everything in the crawlspace has been removed and disposed of, a proper mold remediation is completed. This is done by manually removing all mold colonization then spraying all wood substrates with an EPA registered biocide to kill all existing root systems. The thermal boundary is moved from between the floor joists to the foundation walls, using 2” of rigid foam board. Doing so brings the entire crawlspace within the conditioned space. All duct connections are sealed to ensure all conditioned air is getting to the living space as intended and no return air is being drawn from the crawl space. A heavy-duty drainage mat is then installed to cover the ground. Seaside then installs a string-reinforced 12 MIL vapor barrier on top. This vapor barrier covers the ground, walls, and piers to ensure everything is properly sealed and no moisture can bypass the system. A properly sized dehumidifier is placed in the crawlspace to maintain humidity below 60%. When needed, a custom duct system is installed to ensure that all areas of the crawlspace are properly dehumidified. Monitoring systems are also installed so the client can monitor the crawlspace and inform Seaside Environmental should the humidity elevate over the 60% threshold.
With penetrations connecting the crawl space and the living space, contaminated air and mold spores can be pulled into the home. Leaky duct work within the crawl space poses similar risks. Leaky return ducts will draw any humidity and contaminants into the duct work and direct them back into the living space of the home, compromising the indoor air quality. The humidity within a crawl space will also migrate into the home, leading to uncomfortable conditions. Elevated humidity in the home will require the cooling system to work overtime to try to get the humidity out of the home. By eliminating the humidity and controlling the conditioned air that is supplied to the crawlspace, Seaside’s encapsulation process allows the system to dehumidify the home with much less effort. This, along with the effects of negating any heat gain from the crawlspace into the home, has proven to reduce their customer’s energy bills throughout the summer season. Customers now have the option to move their duct work and air handler into the conditioned crawlspace. Throughout the winter season, this will have a warming effect on the floor above, making the home more comfortable. This, along with eliminating any heat loss to the crawlspace during those cold winter months will further reduce a customer’s energy bills. The bottom line is your home becomes healthier, more comfortable, and energy efficient!
For more info on Seaside’s approach to encapsulating crawlspaces, please visit: www.TheCrawlSpacePeople.com
Check out some before and after photos of a recent Seaside job below!
