“Frozen pipes” would be one among those phrases you would see at the top of a list of the Most Aggravating Home Repair Issues. This is because frozen pipes most often lead to burst or broken pipes. This is also because the complications of burst or broken pipes cause water to leak inside or underneath the home. In turn, even further damage occurs to the surrounding structure or foundation.
Now you may be wondering why this article is being posted here rather than on your local plumber’s blog. You might also read from that blog all about how to winterize your pipes or to make do-it-yourself repairs on them. However, you won’t find any information explaining the importance of taking good care of your crawl space, which is where those very pipes are located. An open or unenclosed crawl space is simply inviting trouble for your home during cold weather months!
Insulating your pipes can be a good idea, especially if you live in a cold climate. But if you have an insulated crawl space, you won’t need to insulate your pipes. An insulated crawl space keeps the heat inside your house where it belongs. And because it doesn’t let cold air into your home, it also prevents cold air from affecting the temperature of your floors.
During a traditional and modern crawl space encapsulation, an excellent and durable foam board is installed around both sides of the inside of the crawl space. Any open vents or moisture that had been leaking in is sealed off. The foam board also acts as a thermal barrier, keeping the warm air in. Your crawl space will stay dry and conditioned.
A climate-controlled crawl space that contains your air ducts will regularly maintain the same temperature that you have requested for the house. If your ducts are outside the crawlspace, the air below will always turn out to be warmer than the surrounding outside air because air can no longer flow freely under your home. The foam sheets create an insulation factor which also helps.
With these factors in place, any plumbing found in your crawl space can easily rest through the fall and winter without worrying about freezing up. They will be protected from freezing temperatures along with everything else in your crawl space. If you are looking to improve the quality of the space under your home, call PIERMAN Foundation Repair today at (580) 453-0330 for more information or to schedule an evaluation of your crawl space.
