Dehumidifier Installation
in Clayburn Village, BC

Clayburn Village is a remarkably well-preserved historic company town from the early 20th century, built to house workers at the nearby Clayburn brick and tile works. The village has been designated as a heritage area, and the original brick buildings and homes represent an important piece of BC industrial and social history. Working in Clayburn requires careful attention to the historic fabric of the buildings, as the construction methods and materials are quite different from modern residential practice.

Humidity management is the operational heart of any crawlspace encapsulation system. Sealing the crawlspace envelope stops the major sources of moisture entry, but the residual humidity in the sealed space — from the soil itself, from diffusion through concrete stem walls, and from any minor air leakage — needs somewhere to go. In most Lower Mainland crawlspaces, a properly sized commercial dehumidifier running continuously is the right answer. The target is to maintain relative humidity at or below 50 to 55 percent year-round, which is the threshold at which mold growth and wood-boring insect activity become effectively impossible.

Proper sizing is critical. An undersized dehumidifier will run continuously without reaching the setpoint humidity level, eventually burning out its compressor. An oversized unit is not a problem in terms of dehumidification, but it costs more upfront and uses more energy than necessary. We calculate required capacity based on crawlspace square footage, current moisture load (as measured during inspection), the vapor barrier coverage and sealing quality, and the seasonal humidity patterns typical for the specific location.