How Do I Benefit When I Protect My Crawl Space?

Your crawl space is one of the most sensitive parts of your home. It can fall victim to all manner of water damage, even if you don’t see a substantial amount of rain in your area. Hydrostatic pressure can cause cracks and leaks to appear not only outside of your crawl space but within it, as well. When you work to prevent that kind of damage from appearing, you’ll not only be preserving the overall value of your home but the health of your family too.  

• Water Damage and Your Home’s Market Value   

If moisture can make its way into your crawl space, it can pose a threat to the whole of your home’s structural integrity. That moisture can damage the structural supports in your crawl space while also making your home uncomfortable to live in. The stack effect, specifically, can direct unwanted moisture existing in your crawl space throughout the rest of your home and can, in turn, put the structural supports in other parts of your home at risk.  

If you want to put your home on the market at some point soon, you’ll want to make sure you’ve done as much as you can to keep that unwanted moisture out of your crawl space. If you let water damage spread over an extended period, then you risk losing up to 30 percent of your home’s market value—especially if you don’t invest in repairs.  

• Water Damage and Your Family’s Health   

The same stack effect can put your family’s health at risk. Unwanted moisture throughout your home can aggravate some parties’ pre-existing conditions, eliciting allergic reactions or respiratory issues. Even folks without pre-existing conditions can start to develop allergies or related conditions if exposed to crawl space moisture for an extended period.  

These conditions can all pop up even without the presence of mold in your crawl space. If any mold spores manage to take root, you may find yourself facing health problems that are even more serious. 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. The faster you can work to prevent moisture from settling in your home, the better off you and your family will be.