Let us find out more about foundation vent well in the following article!
What is a foundation vent well?
Foundation vents are required to keep mold, mildew, and microorganisms out of your residence. Without a doubt, such wood rot, metal corrosion, and bugs will soon follow—To minimize any of these, ensure your cellar and foundation section have enough aeration.
Basement windows and foundation vents are two of the most frequent techniques to maintain natural airflow.
Both approaches cause safe access to the floor-level space on the building’s exterior side. To provide an appropriate free area for the ventilation setup, the foundation vent window wells are utilized.
In addition, Foundation vent wells come in two shapes: semi-circle and rectangular.
How do you install a foundation vent well in your home?
Moisture can build up in a crawlspace because of leaking piping, poor yard grading, or a lack of gutters and drains—A persistent mildew odor or squeaky flooring may signify higher humidity levels in the crawlspace.
The most common method of releasing moisture and enabling air to flow beneath the home is to install foundation vents. So, here’s how to install one:
- On the foundation vent package, find the preliminary opening dimensions. Conventional foundation vents are normally 9 inches by 18 inches in size, however, sizes may vary across brands.
- Move the rough opening measurements to the foundation wall, by using the bottom edge of the sill plate as the rough opening’s upper portion. By placing the vent just beneath the sill plate, only three sides of the foundation must be carved away.
- Inside the crawlspace, ensure sure there are no cables or pipes on the foundation wall within the chosen vent site.
- Fit a half-inch masonry bit to a rotary hammer—- To reach all the way through the foundation wall, (note that the bit ought to be 10 inches).
- Drill as many holes as possible following the lines.
- Remove the masonry pieces within by scraping out the drilled lines using a hammer and chisel.
- If required, use a Sawzall equipped with a metal cutting blade to cut the exposed rebar.
- From the outside, install the foundation vent sleeve into the rough aperture. Vents are built in a variety of methods—however, there will be a plate that fits onto the interior of the crawlspace wall and has clips or holes by which lengthy bolts can be inserted.
Worried about the foundation vents in Winter?
The basic approach to cover foundation vents for the winter is to use foam blocks produced expressly for this purpose to cover them from the outside—Take note to take the plugs out when the weather warms up in the spring.
While you’re at it, double-check the vent screens to ensure that insects and other creatures don’t create a habitat beneath your house—Automatic vents are more convenient though!
Air Vent manufactures versions that open at around 70 ℉ and close at around 40—also, do not conduct electricity.
Lay 6-millimeter plastic sheeting over the ground to obstruct the source of moisture—if the crawlspace is made of dirt.
Find the right number of powered vents for your home now!
Use the following calculation to find the right number of powered foundation vents:
- Multiply the crawlspace square footage by the height in feet—This tells you how many cubic feet there are in the crawlspace.
- Multiply the cubic feet in the crawlspace by the required number of air changes each hour—This represents the total amount of air that must be transported every hour to generate the required amount of air changes.
- Divide this figure by 7,200 or 11,160 according to the type of foundation vent installed—to get the number of powered foundation vents required.
- Non-powered foundation vents should be installed on one side of the crawlspace to supply intake air for the powered foundation vents.
