Does your home have a crawl space?
This is the area between your home’s foundation and floor. It’s typically unfinished, with a dirt floor. The most common foundation types in New Zealand are suspended timber floors with a crawl space underneath (called a sub-floor). A crawlspace is often narrow, just enough room to crawl around inside – hence the name.
The crawl space under your home is more important than you might think.
The crawlspace is often an out-of-sight, out-of-mind part of a home, however you’ll need to manage moisture levels as a damp crawspace could lead to health problems for your whanau.
About 50% of the air we breathe in our home comes from the crawlspace. Air quality in your home determines the health of those inside and poor air quality can either trigger issues or even cause them to develop. Dampness and mould are common in New Zealand homes. More than one-third of all homes in New Zealand have mould issues.
On average, 1.5 cups of water can evaporate from each 1m² of ground in 24 hours – that’s over 250 cups a day for a 150m² house!
How to improve your crawlspace
Installation of a vapor barrier blocks moisture contained in dirt or concrete and prevents this moisture from evaporating into the crawlspace and up into your home.
- Vapor barrier installation is reasonably straightforward for a trained professional. The G-Force installers will begin the process by removing any loose debris.
- Next, the team will take measurements. They’ll also check for any obstacles to laying down the vapor barrier.
- The contractor will then prepare the sheet with the cutouts made for obstacles. Now, they’ll lay it down as tightly as possible.
- When installing a vapor barrier, the goal is to achieve as close to 100% ground cover as possible. Any exposed area of dirt can lead to potential problems.
Already have a moisture barrier installed?
You may already have a vapor barrier in your home. However, when is the last time you checked it?
A vapor barrier is not a one-and-done installation. The average moisture barrier only lasts 5 to 10 years. Eventually, a vapor barrier starts to break down and deteriorate.
So it’s a good idea to take a peek into your crawl space to check the condition of your vapor barrier. If that idea doesn’t sound appealing, a skilled contractor like the G-Force team, can handle the job.
HAVE A CHAT TO THE G-FORCE CUSTOMER SERVICE TEAM ABOUT GETTING A GROUND MOISTURE BARRIER INSTALLED BY GIVING US A CALL ON 0800 477 009 OR EMAIL: SALES@GFORCE.CO.NZ
FAQS
HOW MUCH DOES IT COST TO INSTALL A GROUND MOISTURE BARRIER?
Installation of a 250mu Polythene Moisture Barriers that complies with new Healthy Home Standards, will cost $7.99 per m2
HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO INSTALL?
When our team visit to provide you a free quote for your moisture ground barrier under house, they’ll talk you through the installation process and how long it will take. Depending on how easy it is to access the crawlspace, the team can be in and out between 1-3 hours.
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