Crawl spaces can be frustrating. These architectural features often exist in homes without basements or solid slab foundations and have been known to attract pests, mold and other unwanted issues. They also require somewhat challenging maintenance, thanks to their sandwiched position between a home’s floor and the ground below.

So why do some homes need crawl spaces?

The fact of the matter is that crawl spaces are a cost-effective alternative for safely building homes in certain climates. Houses without solid concrete slab foundations are prime candidates for crawl spaces. In northern areas that are susceptible to winter freezes, crawl spaces eliminate the need for a foundation that could swell and crack with the seasons. And in southern areas, unstable moist topsoil occasionally prohibits foundations, leading to the necessity of a crawl space.

Additionally, many homes are built in these areas and, for one reason or another, cannot accommodate basements. Some locations have high water tables that prohibit basements, and some families have building budgets that don’t have room for a costly basement install. For these homes, too, crawl spaces are an ideal alternative.

Performing Maintenance

Homes that have crawl spaces have a distinct advantage over concrete slab homes when it comes time to make a repair. Due to their design, crawl spaces naturally allow pipes and wiring to be run underneath the home, making them exposed in the crawl space area.

In the event of a plumbing issue, a crawl space gives workers adequate space to find problems and perform repairs without digging through the home’s subfloor trying to track down a problem. As you can imagine, this saves a lot of time, money and frustration.

Being able to access your home’s utilities through the crawl space may even put simple repairs in the hands of the ambitious DIYer, which might be an advantage to some families.

Curb Appeal

While it’s not typically the primary reason for a crawl space design, curb appeal is another reason that some homes are built with crawl spaces. Many modern homes are designed with brick outlined crawl spaces that give the home a taller, fuller appearance. Some homeowners prefer this look to a house flat against the ground.

When it comes down to it, crawl spaces are both functional and add an aesthetically pleasing form to the outside of a home. They may not be the most exciting component of home design, but give homeowners some distinct advantages when it comes to home repair.