Wenatchee and Chelan Home Inspections- A baffling question! 

Out here in the great Pacific Northwest we love our crawlspaces. They are those special places for home inspectors to go (I think there may be a few who wish that we never come out again ;  ).

A bit of a disturbing trend I have seen in many newer homes is that the insulation contractors are improperly installing their baffles to hold the insulation back from the foundation vents. This restricts the air flow in the crawlspace and by Washington State Standards of Practice this is a condition conducive to wood destroying insects and organisms.

Baffles are installed in attics and crawlspaces to ensure that the insulation material do not inhibit the proper airflow in these spaces.Current building practices require 1 foot of ventilation for every 150 square feet in a crawlspace. Ideally a vent should be installed in every corner to prevent dead air space.

Washington State requires that foundation vents must be placed below floor insulation or they must be properly baffled (foundation code- Link). The requirement is the baffle is to be installed with a 30° angle to ensure that the insulation does not inhibit airflow.

If you have a moisture intrusion in the crawlspace it is very important that you have this air movement. This will help keep the relative humidity of the space lower. Mold only needs 24 to 72 hrs in the right conditions to start growing. This also makes the crawlspace more of an invite to rot fungus and wood destroying insects.

While this is not a huge problem to fix it does need to be fixed and seems to be missed during many home inspections.

Wenatchee and Chelan Home Inspections- A baffling question! 

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NCW Home Inspections, LLC  is located in Wenatchee Washington serving Chelan County, Douglas County, Kittitas County, Okanogan County and Grant County Washington and the cities of Wenatchee, Leavenworth, Cashmere, Orville, Cle Elum, East Wenatchee, Quincy and many more…                             

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