Types of Crawl Space Ventilation Systems and Which Type of You Need

The microclimate and comfortable life in a private house are largely influenced by the competently created ventilation of all its rooms. And in particular, the proper ventilation of the crawl space. Good ventilation in the crawl space will remove excess moisture, protect against mold growth, fungus, and significantly extend the life of the house.

When building a private house, many people pay very little attention to the ventilation of the crawl space, mentioning the complexity of the problem, or the lack of necessary information about how ventilation works. In fact, creating crawl space ventilation is quite simple, you just need to understand how ventilation works and with a little help from your local professionals.

The ventilation of the crawl space, as well as the ventilation of any room in a house, is mandatory to guarantee the exchange of fresh air. Ventilation is necessary to ensure good indoor air quality in spaces with low dust levels such as garages, basements, cellars, and crawl space.

It’s important to understand that the ventilation of the crawl space in a private house has its own characteristics. We will talk about them in more detail in our article. Let’s examine the rules for arranging ventilation in the basement with natural ventilation, as well as with the help of forced ventilation.

The ventilation systems of the crawl spaces are classified according to general principles. For example, depending on the method of converting air pressure in motion, they may be natural or forced.

Consider the characteristics of both types, as design differences affect the choice of materials and the installation method.

Option #1 – Natural Air Exchange

To organize the circulation of air masses without installing additional equipment, it is necessary to create conditions in which the air exchange takes place only due to the difference in pressure and temperature.

It’s pretty simple how it works: the driving force behind natural ventilation is the difference in the density of cold (fresh, outside) and warm (inside) air. Cold air flows into the rooms through leaks in windows and walls of the building or through installed crawl space vents or crawl space access doors. After being mixed with the air in the room and warmed up, it leaves the room, along with all the impurities, through the same crawl space vents.

The advantages of crawl space vents: they’re easy to use, are energy-efficient, durable, and maintenance-free.

Option #2 – Forced Crawl Space Ventilation

As with everything, natural ventilation has its disadvantages, and the major one is that it loses its effectiveness due to weather factors.

The most prudent homeowners will go even further: they will complement their ventilation systems with forced air circulation devices, such as crawl space power vents.

These power vents have powerful fans that automatically turn on after opening the sash door to quickly exhaust moisture, stale air, and foul odor from your crawl space to help prevent mold, mildew, and wood rot.

Which Type of Ventilation Systems to Choose?

The combined method is considering the most convenient. When natural ventilation is insufficient it is possible to use the forced method to help.

Natural ventilation produces short-term benefits, that is, the results will be appreciated immediately; the energy efficiency providing by natural ventilation takes effect and the results are quickly appreciated. Reducing the problems of humidity and lack of basement ventilation. Adding a crawl space power vent will allow moist air to be removed before it becomes frost during winter and will ensure proper ventilation all year round.

A crawl space without natural air intakes is a source of mold, bacteria, and particles. That seriously affect the respiratory system of those who live there. Also, the deficiencies of natural ventilation contribute both to the deterioration of the building structures. Which can become a serious problem in the future.

If you need ventilation systems for your crawl space and are considering installing crawl space vents, call Advantage Vent today. We are a responsible company, and our team of professionals will be able to solve both natural and artificial ventilation problems that your crawl space has.

Call us at (773) 626-2200 and we’ll be glad to assist you with your family’s comfort. We will provide a full service: we’ll come to your location, evaluate the situation, determine what is needed, and give you a full estimate.