Check Your Home’s Crawl Spaces

Some Raleigh residents examine their home’s crawl spaces infrequently. Yet did you know, property owners usually save money over the long term by taking steps to ensure they maintain these locations in a dry, water-free condition? Three rewards await homeowners who appreciate the importance of periodic crawl space inspections:

One: Prevent Mold and Mildew From Damaging Your Home

A musty-smelling crawl space could indicate moisture and dampness issues. Just a you wouldn’t want to allow walls, ceilings or floors in your residence to remain wet for extended periods, you shouldn’t permit these conditions to develop within your home’s crawl spaces, either. Water permeating wood repeatedly over time will eventually cause it to rot and decay. Moist environments encourage the growth of potentially damaging fungi, such as mold and mildew.

Requesting your home’s crawl space inspections and waterproofing services assists homeowners in maintaining their dwelling in a much safer condition. Dry interior crawl spaces help promote better overall air quality, while ensuring destructive molds don’t obtain a foothold and begin spreading inside the premises. Some individuals suffer physical discomfort residing in close contact with mold. Taking action to correct this problem contributes to a more comfortable living environment, and also helps preserve a property’s resale value.

Two: Help Control Water Inside Your Home’s Crawl Spaces

By ensuring your residential crawl spaces remain clean and dry, you may ultimately improve your ability to control some types of potentially damaging water leaks. Consider that under normal conditions, water entering the home stems from one of three likely locations: rain, plumbing problems, or condensation. When leaks occur inside a dwelling, it may become important for the residents to determine the source. By keeping crawl spaces in good condition, property owners sometimes receive early indications of a maintenance issue developing in another of the home.

Roof Leaks

For instance, while most people readily identify large holes in a roof, occasionally hail storms may cause undetected damage. When water penetrates into the home through the roof, it doesn’t necessarily travel in straight lines as it drains to lower elevations. Moisture droplets may appear in visible places, such as ceilings, or they may flow into interior structures inside the residence. Sometimes a damp crawl space alerts homeowners to the need for a roof inspection.

Leaky Water Pipes

Additionally, some types of plumbing pipe leaks don’t always become apparent immediately. An excessively damp, wet crawl space could indicate the presence of a broken water pipe inside an adjoining wall, for example. By requesting a crawl space inspection, property owners sometimes gather valuable information about the condition of the plumbing system. They may resolve minor damage before a leaking, deteriorating water pipe breaks and contributes to higher water bills. (If you notice an unexplained spike in your monthly water bill and you plumber cannot determine the source of the increased water flow, you might find it helpful to schedule a crawl space inspection.)

Condensation

In some circumstances, humid conditions and poor ventilation contribute to condensation buildup within the crawl space itself. Trained waterproofing contractors offer expertise in resolving this type of problem. The presence of moisture inside the crawl space over an extended period of time produces dank, water-coated surfaces. Available waterproofing strategies can help correct this situation.

Three: Don’t Let Your Home’s Crawl Space Become a “Free Lunch”

Another big reason to obtain occasional crawl space inspections relates to deterring a tiny intruder: the termite. Although most people rarely see termites, these shy insects cause significant real estate losses in North Carolina every year. Wet, rotting wood attracts termite activity.

Termites reside in colonies and somewhat resemble ants in appearance. Although they can bite, they typically avoid direct contact with humans. Termites chew through the interior of wood. Over time, they can cause a lot of property damage by degrading the strength of wooden structures in a home. The wet, rotting wood in a persistently water-soaked crawl space offers a nearly perfect termite habitat.

Unfortunately, simply maintaining a dry crawl space won’t prevent a termite infestation. (We still recommend obtaining periodic termite inspections in this part of North Carolina.) Yet by keeping the wood in your home’s crawl spaces dry, you’ll reduce the chances a termite colony will find your premises inviting.

Obtain Crawl Space Services in The Raleigh Area

Raleigh Waterproofing, Inc. offers a variety of useful waterproofing services. We assist customers throughout Raleigh and the Triangle. You can contact us at 919-877-9969 to request an inspection of residential or commercial crawl spaces, or to explore available solutions for damp, water-soaked premises.