How Encapsulation Helps and Where It Falls Short Against Pests

Think encapsulating your crawl space can keep all pests out? Think again! Michael Church from Crawl Space Ninja joins us to bust the myth that encapsulation creates a critter-free zone. While encapsulation works wonders in drying out the environment and removing nesting materials like fiberglass insulation, it's not an impenetrable fortress. Learn the real benefits of encapsulation—from improved indoor air quality to significantly deterring pests—and understand why a fully bug-free crawl space is more of a fantasy than reality.

Join us as Michael explains how to seal major entry points around HVAC systems and other vulnerable areas to reduce infestations. He shares eye-opening insights on the limitations of encapsulation, emphasizing that pests still find their way through tiny holes and from above. If you're looking to make your home healthier and less appealing to pests, this episode is a must-listen. Michael's firsthand experiences and expert advice will guide you in making informed decisions about your crawl space. Tune in and discover why encapsulation is a smart move for your home, even if it doesn’t guarantee an entirely pest-free environment.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 0 (00:00):
Hey, michael Church, crawl Space Ninja.
We are continuing our CrawlSpace Misconception series and
today we're going to talk aboutdoes encapsulating the crawl
space keep all bugs and crittersout?
Many years ago I went upagainst a competitor that was
looking to encapsulate a crawlspace.
They were telling the homeownerthat if they encapsulated the

(00:20):
crawl space there would be nobugs, there would be no rodents,
there would be nothing likethat inside the crawl space.
And the homeowner asked me hesaid okay, is your encapsulation
going to keep out all the bugsand the critters out of my crawl
space?
And I just want to be clearabout something Crawl space
encapsulation deters but doesnot prevent all bugs and

(00:40):
critters because the naturalability of the crawl space to
dry out a lot of pests like yourcentipedes and things like that
enjoy moist environments sothey will not come around and
then a lot of rodents and snakeslike the insulation and the
fiberglass to nest in and thingslike that.
So if we take that insulationout and we insulate the

(01:02):
perimeter wall, then thatremoves their nesting ability.
I've even seen possums creatingnests up in the insulation and
things like that.
So it is a deterrent,especially whenever you're
sealing up the majorpenetrations around the HVAC
system.
If you've got an HVAC systemthat's coming through the
foundation wall and you seal allthat up, you are going to deter

(01:24):
a lot of those pests fromgetting in.
But even if we completelysealed the crawl space from top
to bottom, left to right, you'restill going to have the ability
for bugs and rodents to comefrom above.
You've got duck work goingthrough the crawl space.
You've got different thingswhere they drilled holes inside
the wood to run electrical linesand plumbing lines.

(01:46):
Mice and things like that cansqueeze in those little bitty
holes.
A lot of squirrels get up intoattics through trees and they
can work their way down Mice too, things like that.
Encapsulating the crawl spaceis not going to prevent all
pests from getting in there, butit certainly is going to
improve the indoor air qualityof the crawl space and deter

(02:08):
those pests and they're going tobe looking for a dark, damp
place to live, which may be yourneighbor's house.
So I encourage you toencapsulate your crawl space.
I'm Michael Church Crawl SpaceNinja.
We hope you make it a happy andblessed day and we'll see you
later.