Residential Crawl Space Problem Signs
When you have a problem in your crawl space, it can go unnoticed for many years until it becomes very serious. The most typical problems we see in crawl spaces are excess water and flooding during heavy rains. This can cause a number of other issues that can present themselves over time. We will discuss some of the more common issues here.
Excess Water
During or after heavy rains, water can come into the crawl space through air vents, the door, or even up through the soil as a result of drainage problems. Because most crawl spaces have very little airflow and no sunlight enters, the water can stay for days or weeks. This causes excess humidity to be in the air which can weaken the structure, and cause any equipment there to not perform correctly or at all.
Mold and Mildew
Similar to issues prevalent in basements, with any cool, dark environment combined with excess humidity, mold has a chance to grow and thrive in a crawl space. This will reduce the quality of the air inside your home and can cause serious allergic reactions and other health issues for you and your family. Some mold can even be deadly which makes this one of the worst problems you can face.
Sagging Floors
When the moisture is able to permeate the flooring for many years, it can cause the floor joists that support the first floor to become weaker and softer over time. This will cause your floors to become uneven and even sag in some places. If this continues for too long, the floor can become unable to support any weight and they could collapse. If this happens, the only repair is to completely rebuild the flooring structure.
Floor Joist Damage
Damaged floor joists often go unnoticed for years until a floor begins to sag, a pest control inspector observes the issue, or a home inspector flags the damage. Floor joists can be damaged for a variety of reasons. Home improvement contractors often unknowingly cut or drill through floor joists causing severe damage. Pests such as termites or long term water leaks can turn solid structural members to Swiss cheese if the root of the problem isn’t remedied in a reasonable period of time.
Pests
Unsealed crawl spaces can be a safe haven for any type of pests, critters, and bugs that enter the area. If the area is unused and rarely visited, they could live there for many years.
Solutions
If you see any of the problems we’ve described here in your crawl space, these can all be solved. Our team has worked with homeowners in our area to solve these problems. Please follow the link below to get more information about our crawl space repair solutions.