Why Do I Need to Protect My Crawl Space?

Your crawl space is one of the most sensitive parts of your home. It can fall victim to water damage for a myriad of reasons, ranging from overexposure to hydrostatic pressure to the mere presence of tree roots beneath your foundation. When you protect your crawl space, you’re not only working to get ahead of potential damage. You’re simultaneously protecting your home’s value, not to mention the health of your family.  

• Water Damage and Your Home’s Market Value  

Moisture that makes its way into your home poses an immediate threat to your crawl space’s structural integrity. As mentioned, hydrostatic pressure can build up outside of your home and can cause your crawl space’s structural supports to crack. The stack effect can carry that moisture through the rest of your home, causing similar cracks, wall bowing, and floor damage to appear elsewhere in your home.  

Installing a secure access well is one way to keep the amount of hydrostatic pressure your home has to interact with on the manageable side—and 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. If you let water damage spread over an extended period of time, you risk losing up to 30 percent of your home’s market value.  

• Water Damage and Your Family’s Health  

It isn’t just the value of your home that’s at risk due to unwanted crawl space moisture, though. Hydrostatic pressure, the stack effect, and the general presence of high humidity in your home can put your family’s health at risk. This kind of moisture aggravates pre-existing conditions, including allergies and respiratory problems. Even residents who’ve never experienced these problems before can begin to show symptoms if your crawl space stays damp for too long.  

What’s worse is that these problems can arise before moisture-loving mold takes root in your home. If your crawl space falls victim to both leaks and mold, then your family members may experience worsening health problems ranging from a persistent cough to long-term lung damage. If you make an effort to protect your home from unwanted moisture, you can get ahead of these conditions and prevent mold from accessing the nutrients it needs to thrive in your crawl space.