The Stack Effect
Most of you probably have the thought: "I don't go in my crawlspace what do I care what it looks like?"
Well, the answer to that question is you should care an awful lot because of the phenomenon found in your house commonly referred to as the Stack Effect. If you have an attic or more than one story in your home you are probably aware that it is always warmer on the higher levels. The same goes if you have a basement: it is always cooler down there. Why, though? Well, the air is pulled in from outside your home starting at the bottom and is then rising to the top. The colder air is "heavier" and the hotter air is "lighter", cold air sinks, and hot air rises, we all know that. Pressure from the outside pushes the air into the bottom of the house and while the hot air rises, that negative pressure on the inside pulls the air out of the top.
This also has an effect on how you heat your home in the winter and cool your home in the summer. If the warm air is escaping, and being replaced by cold air from your crawlspace, your HVAC system is working much harder to keep your home warm. And if you always feel the cold from your crawlspace on your feet, your natural instinct is to turn the heat up even more! When your systems are working harder, your energy bill starts to rise as well. This fact is also true in the summer when the cold air you try hard to keep inside your home escapes and leaves you with hot humid air. 
Another result of the stack effect is the air you breathe in your house originates from your crawlspace and basement. Now think about how nasty your crawlspace probably is, all the air floating around in there is seeping up into your house. If it's damp down there, so is the air. Damp air carries mold spores, dust mites, and also causes wood in your house to warp. This means you are breathing in all of that and it is also attaching to your furniture, walls, floors, and ceilings as it passes through your house. If you have doors or windows that seem to stick or there is swelling when once they were fine this can be part of the reason. The damp air is also harder to cool and heat versus dry air circulating through your house. Don't worry though, there are solutions!
A great solution is to have your crawl space encapsulated with a premium vapor barrier, the CleanSpace Vapor Barrier, and to install the SaniDry CX dehumidifier. If you have standing water issues you should also look into getting a TripleSafe sump pump with a perimeter drainage system and drainage matting underneath your CleanSpace liner. And if you still want insulation that won't get moldy or damp ask about SilverGlo. You also need to make sure your vents and entryway are properly sealed, so moist humid air doesn't continue to seep into the crawlspace or basement.
To see what is the best solution for your crawlspace contact DryZone today and get a free estimate!
Throughout the Delmarva peninsula, DryZone offers a professional and award-winning suite of services designed to specifically combat the moist air and damp conditions in your crawl space. We also offer products and services for foundation repair and basement waterproofing. Call or contact us today.