When is the last time you looked around in the crawlspace under your house? Crawl spaces are notoriously damp, uncomfortable places so most homeowners tend to avoid them. The main people that venture into crawl spaces are home service specialists like HVAC technicians, plumbers and electricians who may or may not tell the homeowner about any issues they see under there. Unfortunately, there are actually a lot of home issues that can be prevented by properly maintaining your crawlspace. At Restoration Certification Services, we want to help you prevent the damage to your home and your family’s health that can come from a poorly maintained crawl space.
Maintaining a Crawl Space: Unseen but Important
Here are the problems you face if your home has a crawlspace:
Moisture In Your Crawl Space
Moisture is the most common issue in crawl spaces and leads to mold and wood rot. If you haven’t made any improvements to address moisture (like a moisture barrier, dehumidifier or sump pump), then you are probably going to have a moisture issue. The nature of a crawlspace being dark with little ventilation almost guarantees that you will have to do something to combat moisture. If left unchecked, moisture will rot your floor joists and supports and eventually your floor will have to be replaced. Moisture and mold can also rise up through your floor and into your living areas triggering allergies and breathing problems.
Pests in Your Crawl Space
Rats, insects and larger animals can get into your crawl space and leave droppings and/or damage duct work. It is really important to thoroughly check all possible entrance points to keep pests out of your crawlspace. As mentioned before, since most homeowners don’t go in their crawlspace often, it is possible for pests to do a lot of damage before they are noticed.
Your Crawl Space's Insulation
Poor or no insulation in your crawl space means that you will spend more money on heating and cooling your home. It also means that mold can easily travel through the floor and into your living space. Getting your crawl space insulated will lower your power bills and extend the life of your floors.
You need to get your crawl space checked out. Our team at Restoration Certified Specialists is experienced, and we are dedicated to both making your home safe and saving you money. We offer full crawl space services from cleaning to installing protective measures. Contact us for more information.
