3 Crawl Space Problems You Mustn’t Ignore

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3 Crawl Space Problems You Mustn’t Ignore

3 Crawl Space Problems You Mustn’t Ignore
Jun 12, 2019

Crawl spaces are a common home feature, included in home designs and building floor plans for the ventilation and convenience they provide. However, they’re susceptible to damage and must be maintained properly.

Here are three crawl space problems you should address immediately:

Moisture

Does your crawl space smell moldy? Is the area unusually damp? Then you’ve got a crawl space moisture problem!

This tends to happen when the air vents are open, allowing moisture to seep in. As a result, the area develops mold, mildew, and deteriorating wood. In fact, moisture can even lead to dust mites in the space!  Moisture in crawls spaces may also be caused due to the evaporation of water vapor. As it rises, it’s carried to the rest of your home through floors, walls, and insulation vents. This then results in the entire house smelling of mold.

Another cause of moisture in crawl spaces is the exposed dust in the area. If you’ve been neglecting cleaning up the space for a while or if you have open vents installed, then dust and dirt are likely to enter in copious amounts. These absorb moisture, causing an increase in the humidity level of your home.

Pro-tip: keep your crawl space clean and tidy, and make sure you’re using the right sort of vents!

Effects of Adverse Weather

Extreme weather never does your home any good, and your crawl space is no different! With storms and consistent rainfall, the area is at risk of attracting moisture, which has a series of detrimental consequences on your home. Your crawl space may also be damaged by flooding, which again causes water to enter the area and harms the space.

Similarly, if you live in a region that experiences long, dry spells and drought-like weather, then that’s a problem as well. In these cases, moisture seeps into your crawl space from the ground, causing an array of issue.

Effects of Adverse Weather

Construction Discrepancies 

The way your house was built also affects your crawl space! The support beams, floor joists, and most importantly, the foundation all contribute to keeping the crawl space intact and protecting it from external damage. If these aren’t properly installed or weaken over time, then they won’t be able to support your crawl space. This can result in sagging joists and uneven, squeaky floors.

Check what your foundation is made of to better assess the existing damage and potential harm it may cause. Concrete blocks are most commonly used and allow for air and water to enter the space, causing mold and mildew. Stone walls also let in a lot of moisture. If your house was newly built, then your foundation may be made from poured concrete which is relatively effective in preventing air and water entry unless there’s a crack or a hole.

Depending on the structure, strength, and stability of your foundation, you may have to opt for a replacement to prevent crawl space damage, which can then affect your entire house!  

Crawl Space Door Store provides a complete range of crawl space doors, flood vents, and crawl space windows to prevent the onset of the aforementioned issues.

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Why buy a crawl space door, flood vent,
air vent, or portable fan system?

  • Save Money

    Save Money

    Save money on your utility bill with our ventilation, door, fan and vent cover products. You can save money on your flood insurance premiums with our FEMA compliant flood vent.

  • Protect Your Home

    Protect Your Home

    Moisture in the crawl space rots the wood under your home. Reduce the moisture in your crawl space with our crawl space doors, louvers, flood vents and portable exhaust fans.

  • Protect Your Family

    Protect Your Family

    A damp crawl space is unhealthy. Mold thrives in damp areas causing millions of airborne mold spores to enter your home. Toxic mold spores can be deadly to children and those with allergies and COPD.

  • Save Energy

    Save Energy

    Use our crawl space air vents and doors to ventilate your crawl space with natural air flow or forced air with our energy efficient exhaust and portable fans.

  • Save The Environment

    Save The Environment

    Reducing the moisture in your crawl space reduces mold that releases airborne mold spores into the environment.

  • Green Crawl Space

    Green Crawl Space

    Ventilate your crawl space with natural air flow with our crawl space air vents, louvers, and exhaust fans.

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