Crawl Space Science: What to Have Done... and Why

By Lawrence Janesky

There is no shred of evidence or science that says vented dirt crawl spaces make sense – and tons of evidence, right before our eyes, that says they are a serious problem. Yet over 250,000 new homes... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 097764572X
• ISBN13: 9780977645725
• Release Date: April 2006
• Publisher: Basement Systems Inc.
• Length: 101 Pages
• Weight: 1.19 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 7.3" x 9.8"

Customer Reviews

DIY crawlspace encapsulation and save $10,000

I recently requested a quote from a crawlspace encapsulation company in Atlanta and they sent me this book prior to the sales call. The book is very informative, however, it is really a big sales pitch to get you to buy their "system" which is good but VERY expensive. For my 500 square foot crawl space which is dry but humid and 8 feet tall, their "discounted" quote was $13,800 for the 20 mil liner encapsulation, a large 100 pt/day dehumidifier and a high end sump pump - SuperSump. I nearly had a stroke. It was more than two times my next highest estimate. I also thought it included some expensive equipment and gadgets that I don't need. For example, I'm not sure why I need a sump pump because there is not a drop of water even in the heaviest rains and the house is 40 years old. If it hasn't leaked by now why would it start to leak and why would I need a triple sump with alarms, batter back-up, etc. I did some research and found an excellent website where you can order the same materials, including the 20 ml multi-ply "pool" liner like material, excellent videos to show you step by step how to install everything. The website is [...]. For a $50 deposit they will even create your material list (from your sketch) so you order the correct amount of liner, tapes, grommets, under-liner, etc. You can even order the sump pump, dehumidifier and all the tools you'll need - though you may be better off making a trip to your local home improvement store for the tools. Ideally a helper is needed to do the job and the company will even arrange a "pro" to help you do it yourself - if you can't talk someone else into helping you or if you're not quite sure you are up to it. They also have weekend phone support if you let them know when you are doing your job. The companies that sell the "proprietary" system described in detail in the book are franchisees and that probably explains their super high mark-up. The same materials and equipment are available online to any DIY'er. It does not require great skill to install and you can get ALL of the great benefits described in the book - and save over $10,000 if you put one weekend of your time into it. The company does offer a 25 year warranty, but there is a ton of "fine print" in their contract so I'm not it is worth much. If you're interested in their super duper dehumidifier, do an internet search for Santa Fe dehumidifiers. Low and behold, the exact same models are available to any Joe. Hats off to the franchisees if they can sell the systems at super high prices; especially in this economy. And hats off to their company for educating the consumer on how they can make their home more healthy and enjoyable.

Learn about sick crawl spaces - but can get the book free

If you are solving home moisture issues or high energy bills this is a great reference for the current best practices in fixing sick crawl spaces. In US we have been building crawl spaces "to code" and the code is wrong, wrong about how they work, wrong about how to fix them. This book shows Best practices. BUT, if you want this book for free, just call any FloodBusters franchiser in the US. They are happy to give you a free copy of this or the basement book. It is a sales tool that warms you up to why their Best Practices solutions may cost more and work. Read this book if you are comparing moisture proofing contractors. You can choose lower cost solutions. They work work as well or last as long. This great book explains why.

Crawl Space Science

Illuminating, if a bit of a sales pitch for the author. Worth reading - I found it helpful as I anticipate treating my own crawlspace.

Good & Interesting Read

I purchased this book for an obvious reason. I have a crawlspace. I thought it was a very good book to read for anyone concerned and/or interested in what they can do to solve any crawlspace problems or prevent them. I read many other online references on how to treat a crawlspace and I think that this book is one of the best sources of information I found. It is easy to read and understand and informative. There really is no reason to not buy this book if you have a crawlspace or are having problems with or related to the crawlspace. The only thing I caution is that someone jumps in head first to spend the money to have an encapsulation system, like the one described in the book, installed in their home. A homeowner can do the same type of encapsulation themselves and end up with the same results and do it for much, much less money. The main difference being different materials used by the homeowner and professional installers and this is only because the type of vapor barrier used by the professionals is only sold to the pros.