I was recently asked about the pros and cons of crawl liners and concrete crawl floors. Considering that we have had many years of experience installing both of these systems I feel that Atlas Restoration is uniquely qualified to answer this question.
The main issues (i.e. problems) with pouring concrete in a damp and musty crawlspace are as follows:
1) Concrete does not effectively stop the musty smells (this is usually mold by the way)
2) Concrete does not effectively stop the moisture and humidity from entering the home.
3) Because concrete absorbs water (look at the dark spots in wet concrete sometime) it soaks up the moisture from the soils underneath it – effectively defeating the purpose of crawl space remediation in the first place!!! One technique to try and overcome this inherent flaw is to place plastic liner down before the concrete is poured. The problem with this is that the thin plastic liner tears quite easily when the concrete is put on top of it without the installer’s knowledge.
4) Concrete does not have any insulating benefits – it will cost the same to heat and cool your home after the installation of a concrete floor
5) The installation time for a concrete floor in a crawl space is not limited solely to the two or three messy days involved with the pumping process. Because the crawl space is already damp and musty, it can take weeks for the concrete to actually cure!
6) Unless it is heavily reinforced, concrete will always crack. It is not a question of if, but rather when the concrete will crack – sooner or later leaving the homeowner in the same situation they were in originally! A crack in the concrete lets in the same water, mold, mildew, bugs and soil that are inherent in an unprotected crawl space.
7) Believe it or not, with all of these issues concrete is usually significantly more expensive than a liner system.
For these reasons and more Atlas Restoration primarily installs Hydraliner crawlspace liners. Just some of the advantages of the Hydraliner are as follows:
1) Hydraliner does not absorb moisture
2) Hydraliner seals the crawlspace walls as well as the floor – keeping out rodents and insects
3) Hydraliner seals out the musty crawl space smells
4) Hydraliner completely insulates the crawlspace – virtually paying for itself in heating and cooling savings
5) Hydraliner will not crack or break
6) Hydraliner is tough and puncture resistant. You can crawl on it, service technicians can crawl on it, and you can store any item on it – transforming your former unusable crawl space into a clean, dry, and ample storage space for your home. The Hydraliner’s bright white finish actually brightens a crawl space with limited light, creating a friendlier storage environment
7) Hydraliner comes with a 25 year, fully transferable warranty!
Please visit the link below to find out more about the benefits of Hydraliner or to schedule a free inspection and evaluation of your crawl space