Do you know the condition of your house’s crawl space wood beam?
You might not see it every day, but this is the important structural support piece that holds your floor joists in place. Without it, your floor would collapse rather quickly.
With that in mind, it’s important to ensure it’s working condition. This is perhaps most true when it’s made from wood materials, and therefore vulnerable to wood rot or dry rot. Check out the rest of this post to see how you can protect ALL your support beams with crawl space insulation, ventilation, and encapsulation.
Support Your Crawl Space Wood Beam with Proper Reinforcement
The first step toward securing your crawl space is to bolster the insulation all around the support beams. If you can get the best support (that won’t mold or get loose), then your beams will remain sturdy for a lot longer. There are different ways to approach this, including for new housing constructions.
Falcone normally utilizes fiberglass insulation (R-19 grade), but others may opt for foam, insulation boards, or polyurethane spray. Now, assuming you have the right insulation, what is there left to do with wooden support beams?
When to Replace a Crawl Space Wood Beam?
We have a dedicated team of carpenters who can help you evaluate the condition of your main support beam, floors, floor joists, bandsill, girders, and all other wooden components. There may be a point where you’ll have little choice but to replace these items if they’ve succumbed to wood rot or termite damage.
Of course, there are warning signs for these problems. Most homeowners are aware of how termites can compromise your wood by chewing and desiccating it into oblivion. The wood rot issue may be much slower and subtle. This is a gradual deterioration brought about by heavy moisture and humidity.
We always remind folks that given the potential for cave-ins and other accidents, this is not a safe “DIY” task. If you suspect your support structures are compromised, you can contact us for a quick inspection, obtain a reliable second opinion, and avoid serious injury trying to troubleshoot things.
Don’t Forget About Ventilation & Encapsulation
What are other ways to help preserve the integrity of flooring and wood support beams?
If the humidity has gotten out of control, it may be time to explore encapsulation and waterproofing measures. This gives you the chance to seal off all soil and air moisture. Most homes should keep their homes at a humidity level between 30 and 50%, which includes even the crawl space area.
The most effective way to guarantee better conditions underneath your house would be for us to seal the area with a heavy-duty vapor barrier. This is something we often do along with dehumidifier installation and/or ventilation upgrades. The ATMOX system is another popular service, where we assemble a system of “smart fans” to improve airflow in the area.
Always remember that these measures have the same goal: safeguard the crucial components holding up your house, and generating better air quality for the rest of the property.
Call Falcone for Help with Every Foundation Concern
So, whenever you work with us, we try to cover every detail and angle of foundation repair and waterproofing. In most of North Carolina and South Carolina, our homes are built on top of shifting Piedmont clay. This can cause significant disruptions for our homes during certain times of the year. That’s one reason (among many) it’s so important to be proactive about foundation issues.
Whether you need to address old or worn out wood beams, or need help to combat the humidity in your home, we can assist. That’s what we do as the most certified and experienced foundation repair contractor in the Carolinas.
Contact the Falcone team today to inspect your crawl space wood beam, the insulation, floor joists, or any else around for home foundation.
