Throwback Tuesday – Does Your Dryer Vent Into Your Crawl Space? What To Fix

An unfinished crawl space could spell out some problems for the conditions of the space beneath your home. There are several different reasons why your crawl space should be encapsulated and sealed off from moisture. Mold, mildew, standing water, pest infestations, and other factors can compromise the integrity of the structure of your home when left unchecked. The installation of a vapor barrier in your crawl space, a part of the encapsulation process, will solve these problems, however, the following modifications to a dryer in your crawl space can still cause trouble.

Some homeowners have found a solution to their dryer troubles by simply relocating it to an unused part of their home such as their garage, attic, or crawl space. They find that because this space is not regularly receiving air conditioning, and the appliances aren’t picky about the view of their surroundings, that either of these locations would make for a good way to save space. Although this may be true and fit just fine with their lifestyle, the concern comes into play when considering where the dryer will vent out to.

There have been plenty of homemade systems designed to control the output of lint from the dryer exhaust as well as some commercial solutions available for you to buy. The problem is, those solutions most likely don’t offer a way to combat the humidity from the wet clothes that is being pumped into the empty space. As we know, humidity = mold growth, and it is a crucial enemy of the exposed structures of your home.

We suggest that if you currently have a dryer in your crawl space and it is terminating the byproducts of your laundry into your garage, attic, or crawl space, that you redirect it to vent to outside of your home, as regular building codes will call for. If you would like some help with a custom route for your dryer exhaust, give Barrier Waterproofing Services a call at (615) 257-1060 today!