When To Call In The Pros For Crawl Space Repairs
Our homes provide us with safety and security in harsh environments, protecting us against Mother Nature’s destructive forces, such as spring rains or summer thunderstorms that bring in moisture into your crawlspace/basement, causing expensive repairs to be necessary.
Monitor the conditions in the Crawl Space/Basement during spring rains and humid summer storms, taking action if any water, excessive moisture, or mold appears. Look out for standing water remaining 24 hours post rainfall as an indicator of additional damage; contact a qualified and licensed crawl space repair contractor immediately if mold or standing water develops. Staying vigilant can save further damage to your home by being aware and fixing small problems as they appear quickly – acting early is often best!
When it comes to fixing the foundation of your crawl space, you have several options: you could do it yourself or opt for crawl space repair services. Each approach has its advantages and disadvantages, but hiring an outsider tends to be the best option overall.
Why Do You Require Crawl Space Inspection Services?
Crawl spaces may be out of sight, but that doesn’t make them any less essential to inspect for two reasons.
- If the wooden components of your crawl space become compromised, crawl space air can seep into your living area and compromise its structural integrity.
- The “stack effect” can cause respiratory difficulties for anyone living in your house and lead to health complications for everyone living there.
Mold can rapidly form on wooden structures such as beams and joists, eating away at them as they grow. When mold appears in a crawlspace, it indicates moisture issues, which attract pests such as termites, which consume wood as sustenance for feeding on it. Such infestation can compromise structural integrity in homes as it undermines home values if left alone for too long. Unchecked mold growth in your basement system will spread upwards through baseboards onto floors above.
How often should a crawl space inspection take place?
You must inspect your crawl space as soon as there’s any sign of trouble or as part of preventative maintenance. Preventative maintenance aims to save money by identifying issues before they become costly to address and difficult to repair.
If any of the following signs appear in your crawl space, it’s time to call the crawlspace repair contractor and ask for a crawlspace inspection:
- Your home smells musty: This can indicate mold growing in your crawlspace. Warped wood floors often indicate crawl space moisture issues, and mold on baseboards or floors may also indicate this spread within.
- Heating or Cooling Costs Increase: If the crawl space is damp, its contents will flow into your home more readily as moisture-laden air. In such an atmosphere, it becomes harder for heating/cooling units to function efficiently, increasing energy bills over time.
- An issue with pests could involve insects, rodents, or snakes entering through a damp basement and finding their way inside your home.
- Your home contains condensation: This issue typically arises when warm, moist air enters from below your crawl space and rises toward your house, where it comes into contact with more excellent surfaces and forms condensation.
Before renting or buying a property, it’s wise to inspect its crawlspace with a crawl space repair expert. If the inspector offers lease agreements, he or she should also conduct a pre-leasing assessment, which could provide important insights about hidden issues.
Damage may become evident once you open up the crawlspace door and inspect with a flashlight, though for your safety, if this occurs, please have it assessed by a professional crawl space foundation repair company immediately if any warning signs arise in this regard.
How Is a Crawl Space Inspection Performed?
Residents in our survey are asked if anything suspicious has come up that may indicate they might have an issue in their crawlspace.
At first, we visually inspect your house to look for cracks in walls, floors, and ceilings and signs of differential foundation settlement or water intrusion. Furthermore, we check humidity levels inside your house and conduct an in-depth floor survey.
We will identify whether your foundation has any issues and provide an estimate for repairs; typically, this process takes 1-1.5 hours.
Can I Perform Crawl Space Inspection From My Own?
As homeowners, we do not advise inspecting their crawl spaces themselves other than for brief examinations with a flashlight at their entrance points.
Crawling around under your home can be hazardous. Unencapsulated crawlspaces that have not been waterproofed may contain mold, rodents, musty odors, and pests like spiders, snakes, or deadly mouse droppings; wear protective equipment, including a respirator mask, before entering these spaces if entering.
Homeowners shouldn’t attempt crawl space inspections because they do not know exactly what signs to look for and could miss something that a professional can easily detectd.
Crawling around on hands and knees through an unsanitary crawlspace is no fun; for your health and well-being, we advise leaving this task in the capable hands of professionals.
Is DIY crawlspace inspection beneficial?
Untrained eyes may miss crucial details. What and where should be examined? Failure to acknowledge a crawlspace issue and address its effects early could cost much more later in repair costs.
Do you plan to crawl down there, too? Be wary; spiders, snakes, and potentially harmful rodent droppings could be lurking below. Asbestos insulation could also be present. To inspect crawl spaces safely, it takes expertise from licensed crawl space repair solutions contractors with years of experience.
Hire a Crawlspace Foundation Repair Contractor Now
Hiring a contractor to repair the foundation of your home’s basement may be your best choice regarding foundation issues, as they have experience, offer fast service, are safe, and offer quality craftsmanship for peace of mind. Experienced foundation repairers will inspect your crawlspace before providing recommendations and equipment necessary for basement repairs. Additionally, contractors typically have access to equipment required for this restoration process.
When seeking basement foundation repairs, hire a crawl space repair company with an excellent track record and many years of experience – they’ll offer the highest value services possible about cost.
Crawl Space Waterproofing and Encapsulation Solutions
Waterproofing and crawl space encapsulation are the only ways to keep your crawlspace tidy and safe from water damage.
Crawl Space Waterproofing : Crawl Space Waterproofing will prevent moisture from seeping into your crawl space by keeping excess moisture from the soil surrounding its foundation. Drain tile systems are the gold standard in crawl space waterproofing; here is how they work: drain tile systems prevent excess moisture from collecting around your foundation, keeping both soil and crawl space dry and your crawl space at an acceptable humidity level.
Crawl Space Encapsulation System : Crawlspace encapsulation is an ideal way to ensure your crawlspace stays free from dirt. The complete crawlspace encapsulation process involves covering the walls and floors of the space with thick insulation materials like polyurethane foam sheeting. Crawlspace insulation provides more vapor barrier coverage, whereas encapsulation completely seals it against it. Some homeowners use crawlspaces as valuable storage spaces and store holiday decorations, tools, or other belongings inside these sealed-off spaces.
Crawl space encapsulation can undoubtedly add value!
Crawl Space Dehumidifier : Installing a dehumidifier in the crawl space controls humidity and helps keep moisture at an acceptable level to combat mold growth in crawl spaces and prevent moisture problems altogether.
Get Assistance for Crawl Space Repair : Hire an experienced crawl space expert. As soon as you’ve narrowed your choices down to potential companies, read reviews of previous clients about each. Seeking advice from family and friends can also be helpful. Finally, double-check their credentials before making your final choice.
Also read: Six Mistakes To Avoid When Choosing a Crawl Space Company
Are You Prepared To Hire A Crawl Space Repair Company?
Affordable Foundation Repair utilizes high-quality products and materials, drawing upon decades of experience to maximize home health.
Get in touch with us right away for your FREE quote! We look forward to speaking with you about all your foundation repair needs!
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