What’s Lurking in Your Crawl Space?

What is a crawl space? It’s not a term that you’d know off the top of your head, but the fact is, it’s a part of your home, and it has the potential to be extremely harmful. A crawl space is located beneath many houses, is generally very small, and is only tall enough to “crawl” through, hence its name. These spaces have room for pipes to run, allowing easy access should the pipes need to be serviced. Unfortunately, the spaces are located very near to the ground, and their floor is generally made up of dirt. Here are some questions you need to ask yourself to discover the truth about your crawl spaces:

What are the dangers of leaving my home’s crawl space as it is?

Homeowners likely don’t feel that taking protective measures with their crawl space is necessary, since they’ve rarely even noticed its existence, but the reality is; crawl spaces can be damaging to your home and health. There’s a lot of water that accumulates in the earth beneath your home, and this moisture can vaporize and puddle. Your crawl space is the perfect breeding ground for mold and mildew. As your home circulates air, it pulls up from the crawl space and into your home. Mold spores, odors, and dust mites can come up with the air like smoke being wafted up a chimney. This severely compromises your indoor air quality as well as the health and safety of your home. As spring and summer approach, the moisture combined with stagnant air and humidity will wreak havoc on your home and cause unhealthy air quality. Crawl spaces need to be properly ventilated in order to allow the moisture to escape the space or else the vapors can lead to serious structural problems as floor joists and framing become compromised. Keep an eye out for these telltale signs that water vapors are damaging your home:

• Warped or buckling floors
• Mildewed carpets
• Rust
• Peeling paint
• Musty odors

Not only do you have to watch out for structural damage, but keep in mind that rodents and pests of all kinds love dark, dank areas. These creatures also attract snakes, and while some of us may like the reptiles, most don’t want them slithering beneath our homes.

What can I do to protect my home from crawl space damages?

Crawl Space Encapsulation! It’s a fancy-sounding word for a simple procedure that will save you hundreds on potential damages and give you peace of mind all year long. Encapsulation is the process of covering the dirt and gaps with a protective barrier. This barrier seals out the moisture, protecting your home from damage and destructive vapors. Not only does encapsulation turn your crawl space into a clean and safe area, but it also saves you up to 20% on your heating and cooling costs simply by sealing the cracks that allow outdoor air in!

At F.H. Furr, we encourage you to take the initiative, protect your home from moisture damage, and save energy with crawl space encapsulation. We believe that keeping your home and family safe and comfortable comes first! Saving energy with this option is just another reason to take the right step toward encapsulating your crawl space! Give our experts a call and find out if crawl space encapsulation is right for your home!