What makes a home? Some of us might say it’s four walls and a roof with some windows and doors. Others might add that it’s also rooms – kitchen, living room, bedrooms – and the stuff inside them. Still more people will insist that it’s what happens in the house that makes it a home, like memories that you share with friends and family. At Innovative Basement Authority, we think a home is all of these things – and more.
We think a home is a system. It’s made up of parts that function independently but work together to keep your home comfortable and functional. Each part of the home – from the roof to the electrical work to the HVAC system to the basement – does its job separately, but when any part of the system malfunctions, the whole house is compromised.
Unfortunately, some problems with your home are easier to handle than others. Electrical work, plumbing, or heating/cooling issues are always a headache, but homeowners tend to catch them early because they’re parts of the home that get used frequently. Out-of-the-way areas like a basement or crawl space, are more likely to be forgotten simply because you probably don’t venture down there as often. But they still impact the home as a system. Just like bad plumbing can spring a leak and damage a basement, the problems of a bad basement or crawl space can impact rest of the home. Here’s how:
A Bad Basement or Crawl Space Can Destroy Storage
The most common use of a basement is for extra storage space. But if something major goes wrong in your basement – like a crack in the wall or floor leads to a flood – everything you’ve collected over the years will be compromised. And even if it isn’t destroyed right away, you won’t want to take any chances. You’ll have to move years worth of storage, probably to the main floor of your home where it will cause clutter and take up valuable space.
A Bad Basement or Crawl Space Can Devalue Your Home
How would you feel if you were selling your home and someone was ready to make a great offer – until they saw a crack running down the basement wall or a crawl space infested with pests? Your beautiful kitchen with its updated appliances or your neatly-trimmed yard with great curb appeal will immediately be taken down a notch or two when a potential buyer notices a basement or crawl space problem.
This disappointing scenario is much more likely to happen if you don’t take care of these often overlooked parts of the home. You may be forced to lower your asking price significantly just because you didn’t get that settling foundation or unencapsulated crawl space taken care of.
A Bad Basement or Crawl Space Can Impact Air Quality
There are several ways your basement or crawl space can impact the air quality in the rest of your home. If your basement floor or walls are cracked or bowing, chances are water is going to enter sooner or later. With water comes mold, and with mold comes mold spores. It’s easy for tiny mold spores – not to mention dust mites and other harmful particles – to come upstairs.
Crawl spaces come with similar problems. If your crawl space is not encapsulated, you’ll have the same problems as a bad basement – and more. It’s much easier for pests to make their homes beneath your home if your crawl space isn’t encapsulated. This can translate to animal waste also making its way into your home through rising air. All of these things pose health risks, but they can all be avoided by diagnosing problems fast.
Innovative Basement Authority has been repairing basements and crawl spaces throughout Minnesota and North Dakota for over a decade. We know that you want to protect your biggest investment – whether you think of it as a roof and four walls, a collection of rooms, or the place where you raise your family – and we’ll do everything we can to work all the kinks out of every part of the system. Call us today to schedule your free estimate.
