Keeping pests out of your home is important for your health, peace of mind, and even your home’s structural integrity in many cases. While there are a number of ways to boost your pest prevention, one of the best options is crawlspace encapsulation.
Crawlspace encapsulation refers to the practice of sealing off your crawlspace using heavy-duty vapor barriers. It creates a dry barrier between the damp dirt floor, the walls, and the floor above the crawlspace. You may still be wondering, what does any of that have to do with pests? Here are a few reasons why crawlspace encapsulation is important for pest prevention.
- Pests Need Water – Rodents, insects, spiders, and other pests all need water to survive, and your crawlspace can provide that for them if it isn’t encapsulated. The damp environment is appealing to pests, but removing access to that moisture may lead them to look elsewhere for shelter.
- Some Pests Are Attracted to Rotting Wood – Moisture in your crawlspace may lead to wood rot, which is something that termites love. Termites eat cellulose, and they love rotting wood because it is softer for them to chew than other wood. The termite-plus-rotting-wood combination is the worst news for your home’s structural integrity, but crawlspace encapsulation can help to make sure this situation doesn’t happen.
- Encapsulation Closes Entry Points – Crawlspace encapsulation involves completely sealing the space off. That means it can help to block entry points that pests would have used otherwise, so they will have a harder time getting in.