We have half basement, half crawlspace. No actual water in the basement, ever, as far as I know. Built 1938. There's a powerful filter and dehumidifier in the basement.

There is a smell of mildew. You can actually smell it in the ground outside, and it is strong in the garage, which has no basement. I don't actually perceive the smell more strongly in the basement; it is worse in the main living area.

Would encapsulation greatly reduce the smell in the house?

The smell can be made undetectable in the living spaces when doors are open and I have odor elimination gel all over the place. But you can always catch a whiff in closets, rugs, and when the house is closed up the smell gets stronger.

Would encapsulation also reduce the number of spiders, earwigs, etc?

It seems like a crawlspace is supposed to allow the house to breathe, so is encapsulation bad for other reasons not related to odor?

Thanks for any advice you can offer.