Why Should You Protect Your Crawl Space?

If your crawl space is so small, it shouldn’t have such an impact on your home’s structural integrity, should it? Unfortunately, this small space plays a larger part in the health of your home than its size suggests. Even if you don’t find yourself contending with active flooding, a damaged crawl space can rapidly destabilize the rest of your home. Homes with flooded or otherwise damaged crawl spaces not only sell for less on the housing market but also actively endanger the lives of their residents.  

• Water Damage and Your Home’s Market Value 

Moisture, as mentioned, wreaks havoc on your crawl space’s structural supports. While crawl space and foundation damage may sound like minor inconveniences, they can disrupt your life in a big way if they get out of control. These conditions can force you to replace entire sections of your home to the point where you may have to invest not only in new floors but the excavation and restoration of your entire foundation. 

If you want to put your home on the market at some point in the near future, you’ll want to make sure you’ve done as much as you can to keep that unwanted moisture out of your crawl space. The kind of damage a damp crawl space can foist upon you can cost you up to 30 percent of your home’s market value, especially if you opt to sell your property without first investing in repairs. 

• Water Damage and Your Family’s Health 

Moisture that originates in your crawl space but makes its way into the rest of your home can also put your family’s health at risk. Residents with allergies or respiratory issues can see their conditions rapidly worsen. Even family members without these conditions can see them develop over time, especially if you don’t make a point to attend to the damage that you’re facing. 

All of these conditions can worsen before mold has a chance to take root in a damaged crawl space, too. If you find yourself contending with mold, you’ll want to do what you can to either tend to your crawl space or relocate your family as soon as possible. Most types of mold, if allowed to flourish in your home, can cause health problems ranging from a persistent cough to long-term lung damage.