Do I Need to Repair My Crawl Space?

Your crawl space requires more attention than you might imagine if you want to keep your home secure. The longer you let moisture settle in your crawl space, the more likely it is that you’ll find yourself contending with more severe damage later down the line.  

• Immediate Crawl Space Damage  

When your crawl space first starts to show signs of damage, you may think that what you’re seeing is insubstantial. However, even insubstantial damage can have a long-term impact on both your quality of life and the value of your home. Some of the most common problems to arise in your home as soon as your crawl space support beams start to go include:  

• Less stability in your floors and walls  
• Increased levels of humidity and moisture throughout the whole of your home  
• Inconsistent temperatures throughout your home  
• Higher electric bills  

Because that excess moisture in the air lowers the temperature in your crawl space, your HVAC system will fight to compensate for the constantly changing temperatures in your home. In short, your HVAC system ends up overworked as soon as moisture begins to make its way indoors – meaning that not only will you face higher bills, but that you may have to replace part of your HVAC system sooner than you might like to.  

• Crawl Space Leaks and Foundation Damage  

As mentioned, not repairing the structural supports in your crawl space—or failing to repair your crawl space itself—can have a significant impact on the safety of your family in your home. Not only can the said problems grow worse over time, but the moisture gathering in your home—the same moisture that compromises the structural integrity of your support beams—can eventually soak down into your foundation.  

As your foundation takes on water damage, the whole of your home can begin to sink. This kind of sinkage can cause your floors to buckle, making them unsafe to walk on and less capable of supporting your home. Similarly, your walls can begin to separate from their supports. Before long, your home may have lost up to thirty percent of its market value, and your family may begin experiencing respiratory problems where they hadn’t before. With those consequences of inaction in mind, it is in your best interest to act as soon as possible if you suspect that your crawl space’s support beams may be failing. Note that area contractors can help you get your crawl space back into shape whether moisture proves to be the root of your problems or another force seems to be in play.