New house and crawl space

[mnocs]

I recently moved into a new house in Eastern NC and am quite interested in getting the crawl space encapsulated. The house is approximately 8 months old, and even though it is a new build, musty odors have been emanating from the crawl space area. There is 6 mil poly applied (80% per code), but this does nothing in my opinion. I’ve always had concerns about the crawl spaces under houses since it is basically an exposure of the ground to the house, which from my experience is not good.
My question is why aren't more homeowners concerned about crawlspace issues? You would think that more and more owners would at least consider this idea of totally encapsulating the crawl space. Is it because there are numbers working against this issue? Another words, is it because this is the way it's always been done and there are so many people who haven’t encapsulated their crawlspace that people feel comfortable keeping it vented and uncapsulated? The fact that the crawlspace is part of the “living area”, it bothers me to think that the musty odors/air that makes it’s way into the house is not healthy, not to mention a nuisance.
If you take a look at the studies performed by AdvancedEnergy, they clearly show the risks involved when the crawlspace is vented. So how can it be accepted by so many homeowners?
I am seriously considering shelling out the money to encapsulate my crawl space, even though it is a new house. From what I understand, it will not only help with the efficiency of the heating/cooling, but also the overall health of air in the house and be a preventative measure against future problems such as more serious mold issues and wood rot. Not to mention it may be a positive selling point.
Any comments or criticisms would be appreciated.

[richard]

Congratulations on the new house!

Yes, encapsulating your crawl space (http://www.basementsystems.com/content/49/default.aspx) is the right thing to do. Your concerns about dirt crawl spaces under buildings is well founded.

And yes, the issue why most people continue to live with a dirt crawl space (http://www.basementsystems.com/crawlspace/) is because that's the way it has always been done, and in many states, building code still allows for a vented dirt crawl space. We are seeing this code slowly changing, such as you say it is code now in your area to cover 80% of the dirt crawl space.

We believe that encapsualting a crawl space is the right thing to do. The CleanSpace (http://www.basementsystems.com/crawlspace/crawlspace_products/crawlspace_vapor_barrier.php) crawl space encapsulation system is the most effective system on the market, addressing the entire crawl space, including the crawl space vent (http://www.basementsystems.com/crawlspace/crawlspace_products/crawlspace_vent.php), doors, capping the concrete blocks when applicable, and conditioning the air for a healthier, more energy-efficient environment.

You seem to know a lot about the facts of a crawl space, but to learn more about our system, call 800-638-7048 and we'll get you in touch with your local dealer for a FREE Estimate & Inspection (http://www.basementsystems.com/forms/contact.php).

-Richard