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With over 10 years experience serving beautiful Florida, Orlando Vapor Barriers is your one stop shop for all your under home solutions.
Original Barriers
Original vapor barriers in most mobile homes from 70’s, 80’s, and 90’s have a 20-25 year lifespan if the atmosphere in crawl space is very dry. Due to Florida weather its very rare to keep the area dry and usually has a lot of moisture damage during rainy season which leads to dry rot in the dry season. The fluctuation of temperature from day to night in Florida usually has a twenty degree temperature difference that leads to moisture from sweating on the metal beams and wooden subfloor frame which are closest to the barrier leading to dry rot! The older barriers are either felt paper with string or what we call buffalo board which is compressed fibers and glued into a inch thick board. Both styles of barrier will rot and pop staples and start to drop which allows insulation to drop, or rodents to enter and make nests. The more exposure to your subfloor and framing can lead to very costly damage to the subfloor all the way up to the flooring itself. Florida cracker style homes that have crawl spaces usually do not have vapor barrier and can lead to heavy floor damage, sometimes the moisture is coming from the ground and they just simply need a vapor barrier on the ground to stop the moisture intrusion. The quicker you replace or cover over your existing vapor barrier the more you save. Soft spots or lifting up in flooring, very humid moisture in rooms of the house, high abnormal power bills are strong indicators of old or destroyed vapor barriers. Allowing us to inspect your barrier, air ducts, piping, and subfloor framing can all help save future costs if barrier is monitored by owner.
Insulation Replacement
The manufactured insulation that was used in mobile homes and manufactured homes are only an inch to two inches thick and pulled like a blanket and just laid like a blanket on the subfloor framing. The manufactured insulation is airy and does not stuff between the beams of the subfloor allowing a lot of airflow that leads to a lot of moisture to create damage and lead to mold on the barrier. Insulation replacement can lead to filling those airy spaces and slow the intrusion of moisture attacking the barrier. New technological barrier that is used allows the sweating moisture to escape better than original barriers but it cannot change the moisture running between beams if original insulation is not replaced. Dry air homes get away with the thin insulation but is very rare. Again power bills can be lowered with better thicker insulation when stuffed between beams instead of laying on barrier attached to bottom of beams.
Bad Air Ducts
The Air Ducts that run below the mobile homes and manufactured homes are the most important correlating function to the vapor barrier. The air ducts not being attached properly or rusted rotted connectors can lead to massive moisture damage and buildup. If the air ducts sweat heavy enough they will collect water and pool up like puddles and begin to cause mold and mildew growth. The air ducts connect to metal Trunk lines that are attached to the subfloor which lead to a lot of moisture buildup. Inspecting your trunklines and air ducts for holes or punctures can also help avoid higher power bills and damage to the vapor barrier. It is impossible to prevent all moisture when dealing with Florida weather where metal and wood meet, but if you keep it protected and properly insulated it can save a lot of future damage. Another issue with air ducts in Florida is the wrong type being used by manufacturer and handy man type A/C companies that use ceiling air ducts for outside ground airducts.
ANCHORS
Anchors usually installed with the home when first brought to the lot usually rust out within 10-15 years. Our company offers strap style anchors that usually wrap around the main I-beam that supports the home. Another type of anchor is an horizontal beam anchor that go in the four corners of the home and can help with shifting of the home. They both secure the main beams and subfloor to the ground to add support and prevent movement in heavy wind storms.
METAL SCREENING
Mobile homes usually have a two feet open space from the home to the ground which allows air flow to dry out moisture under the home. Usually it has bricks that will help close out big rodents but allows smaller rodents to enter. Orlando Vapor Barriers installs metal screening attached to the bricks to help block off the smaller rodents and allows for air flow to still do its job. Most homeowners make the mistake of removing the bricks and use vinyl siding and bring it all the way down which leads to less air flow leading to trapping moisture, which leads to vapor barrier damage. It is understood that siding is a better cosmetic look than metal hardwire screen, but the costs of damage by siding should be noted.
