Will Installing a Vapor Barrier Alone Save Money?

Installing a vapor barrier, whether individually or as a part of a wider waterproofing system, has the potential to save you money. Of course, the amount of money you can save depends on a number of factors.  

A Vapor Barrier Alone 

Installing a vapor barrier on its own will save you money in the long-term, but the savings will be limited for a number of reasons. The main way in which a vapor barrier will save you money is by lowering humidity. Humidity has a number of impacts on a property – the most active is the way in which it makes the air harder to condition. This means that a HVAC system uses more energy to get a less effective result, thereby increasing energy costs.  

Increased humidity also makes it more likely that exposed pipes will begin to rust and corrode, and will increase the rate of wear and tear experienced by all manner of household appliances. This means that installing a vapor barrier will not only lower energy bills, but will reduce the risk of avoidable breakdowns and the repair costs that they can incur.  

Full Encapsulation 

Installing a crawl space vapor barrier as a part of a wider process of encapsulation is a far more effective way to protect a home and save money for a number of reasons. Firstly, fully encapsulating a space will reduce humidity far more intensely than a vapor barrier ever could alone. This maximizes the savings on electricity bills and seriously reduces the chance of avoidable breakdowns and damage to appliances.  

A fully encapsulated crawl space will also be more energy efficient as a result of the insulation which is installed as a part of the encapsulation process. Insulation increases heat and cold retention, meaning that the climactic changes created by a properties HVAC system are maintained for longer. This means that the heating or air conditioning systems get a better result with less effort, thereby lowering energy costs in the same way that lower humidity does.