How often do you visit and inspect your crawl space? Many homeowners are guilty of not checking the underside of their home for months or even years. This is understandable since this space is usually difficult to access. If you’re one of these people, you should start inspecting it more regularly.
Your crawl space, like any other part of your home, is important, especially since it supports your property’s entire structure. That said, if your home has crawl space problems, they can lead to major issues like structural or foundation damage. Here are some common issues that may arise underneath your house:
• Flooding or Standing Water
Your crawl space can be flooded for many reasons, especially if it is not insulated or encapsulated. Cracks in foundation walls, excess soil moisture, inadequate gutters and drainage systems, leaking vents and doors, poor grading, and ruptured pipes are just some of the common causes of standing water underneath your home.
Since there is no direct sunlight in your crawl space, water will stay there for a long time. Standing water in your crawl space can cause serious damage, especially to your home’s structure.
• Increased Humidity or Moisture Levels
Aside from structural damage, the presence of water in your crawl space can also increase humidity or moisture levels. Since a large percentage of the air inside your home comes from underneath your property, the temperature can also be affected. You may feel that it’s hotter than usual.
Your heating, ventilation, and air conditioning or HVAC system can help you keep the temperature inside your home at a comfortable level. However, your HVAC unit will have to work harder to do so. That said, you’ll have to pay for a higher electricity bill.
That is why you can always rely on a best solution that can help you to get out of this situation. One of the best way that you can tread on in such situation is availing Comprehensive mold remediation in Houston and irrespective of the region from reliable and reputed professionals. It will cost you once and you can see it as big solution to get rid of any mold issue or any such problem in your property for once and always.
• Mold and Mildew Growth
If your crawl space has an excessive amount of moisture, there’ll be a high possibility that mold and mildew also grow somewhere in the area. This is because such fungi need moisture to survive and reproduce.
The presence of mold and mildew in your crawl space can cause damage not only to your property but also to your health. You may experience allergic symptoms like headache, runny nose, sneezing, wheezing, and difficulty breathing. And if you have asthma or other lung problems, your condition can worsen if you’re exposed to molds.
• Pest and Insect Infestation
Aside from molds, a crawl space with too much moisture or humidity can also attract insects and pests like ants, cockroaches, rodents, spiders, and termites. The presence of these on your property can be dangerous. Termites, for example, can eat the wooden structures of your property.
Pests can also cause health problems, including asthma, allergic reactions, respiratory diseases, and severe mental health. Some insects are also known to be vectors of different diseases like malaria, salmonella, and strep.
• Unwanted Odors
As mentioned above, a large percentage of the air you breathe inside your home comes from your crawl space. So, if the area is infested by mold, insects, and pests, you may notice pungent, oily, or musty odors. These smells may come from molds or pest and insect droppings.
As established, exposure to mold odors can be dangerous to your health. Having such smells will also make your home an uncomfortable place to live in. You can use air fresheners or purifiers, but they’re just temporary solutions. Plus, they can also be expensive.
What’s the Best Solution to These Problems?
If you have any of the crawl space issues listed above, the best thing you can do is to contact a waterproofing company. They can definitely help you with your needs. The solutions they typically provide include crawl space waterproofing, insulation, encapsulation, mold remediation, and anti-microbial application. They may also have to install sump pumps, vapor barriers, and dehumidifiers.
Reach Out to the Experts Today!
Fixing the problems in your crawl space can be hard to do on your own, especially if you don’t have the right equipment. It can also be dangerous since it is where your electrical wirings are kept.
So, it would be best to ask an expert for help instead of doing the job on your own. Get in touch with them now to learn more about how they can help you protect the underside of your home.
