Poorly Insulated and Encapsulated Crawl Spaces and The Stack Effect | Smoky Mtn

The Stack Effect

No, this is not a title to an upcoming blockbuster film. The Stack Effect refers to how air flows in and out of your home as it is related to a poorly insulated and/or sealed crawlspace.

The Stack Effect phenomenon can occur in both hot and cold weather conditions. The reason for this is the contrast we try to make against the weather conditions outside from inside the home, namely turning up and down the thermostat. The difference of the temperature of the air inside the home to the air outside is what sets the Stack Effect into motion.

Cool air has a heavy density while warm air has a lesser density; think of the air inside of a hot air balloon and how the pilot adjusts the flame to both ascend and descend. The hot air your HVAC system works hard to fill your home with rises up until, in the event of a poorly insulated attic, it finds its way outside.

“What goes up is followed by the down” in this case, where the cold air that sits in your crawl space is pulled up if no insulation or encapsulation has yet been installed.

Completing your attic alone won’t be enough to prevent the Stack Effect, as your crawl space is the significant source of the air seeping up into your home. Having your crawl space insulated and/or encapsulated not only keeps out unwanted air, but other ailments that commonly affect the crawl spaces of many homeowners such as mold and mildew, as well as contaminants in the air from animal waste that can accumulate there.

Making a change that will keep your home more healthy and comfortable is only a phone call away. Smoky Mountain Crawl Space Systems will perform a FREE evaluation of your crawl space to identify any damage or other issues that may be sitting just before the floor of the house.

Call (865) 299-2315 and ask how our team can help!