Checked Your Crawl Space Lately?
It's important to keep an eye on this part of your home
Newman Restoration & Cleaning
The crawl space is an easy place to ignore, but it should never be out of sight, out of mind. This is an important place to check and maintain. Crawl space issues can develop both slowly or quickly and can lead to costly repairs. Team Newman has a few suggestions on what to look for in order to prevent major issues.
First of all, be watchful for elevated moisture in a crawl space. Standing water and high humidity can create lasting damage in a crawl space. Humidity levels over 60 percent can allow for microbial growth and rot structural materials. A damaged or missing vapor barrier can allow for elevated levels of moisture in a crawl space as well.
Winter water intrusions need to be monitored. Snowmelt and ground saturation can be an issue for a crawl space. Imperfections in a foundation allow for water to enter a crawl space. As foundations shift, settle and deteriorate, waterproofing and structural measures are often required to prevent water instructions.
Check crawl space for damaged vapor barrier or missing insulation - Damaged or missing vapor barriers lead to eventual moisture issues. It is also important to inspect a crawl space for missing insulation. A lack of insulation leads to issues with frozen pipes and makes heating a home less efficient. If there is an issue with keeping a crawl space warm, investing in pipe wrap for is a good idea.
Rodents are another potential hazard - Rodents can take shelter in a crawl space during the winter. It is common to find them living in the insulation. Rodent feces and carcasses can create an unhealthy environment. It is important to check around a crawl space for signs of rodents as their presence will create a health hazard.
So check that crawl space and make a date to do it regularly. Since you can develop a variety of problems, it's recommended that you make a date to inspect this space twice a year. This will help catch any potential issues. If you do spot some problems, it will also help you call in the experts (like the folks at Newman Cleaning and Restoration) if you need to in order to get it back in good condition.
