What’s Happening in Your Crawl Space?

If you’ve got a crawl space, you probably don’t go down there very much. Crawl spaces aren’t typically someplace you’d want to hang out, and most of us rarely even think about them. However, it’s important to know what’s happening in your crawl space, because it can have a major impact on the rest of your home.

A crawl space gets its name from low ceilings. Most crawl spaces are between one and three feet in height, just tall enough for someone to crawl through. Crawl spaces have some benefits over a concrete slab foundation, primarily because they allow access to things like plumbing, electrical wiring, insulation, and heating and cooling systems. This makes repairs much easier, and a crawl space costs significantly less than a basement to build into a home.

Crawl spaces also beat basements if you’re in a damp area that has a lot of rain or is prone to mold or termites. They need to be well-ventilated, and installing a dehumidifier in the crawl space is worth considering. Here’s the tricky thing about crawl spaces: they’re not places where you’d want to hang out, but if you’re not paying attention, they can end up with some pretty serious problems.

• Mold loves damp crawl spaces. This is one reason that it’s important to keep your crawl space dry because mold can be dangerous. What’s more, if it’s in the crawl space it can circulate throughout the house, causing health issues like eye, nose, lung, and throat irritation and triggering allergies and asthma.
• Another reason to keep your crawl space dry is to prevent rot. Moisture in your crawl space increases the risk of rotting wood, especially if mold is present. What’s made of wood in your home? Your support beams and floor joists probably are, and if they rot, you risk some serious structural damage.
• Water in your crawl space attracts pests. Rodents and insects are drawn to water sources, so if you don’t want to share your home with creepy-crawly roommates, it’s best to keep the crawl space dry.
• Your insulation can be compromised by moisture. If you want your floors to remain insulated, you’ll need to make sure the insulation is properly secured to the floor joists and dry enough to stay put.

If you need help waterproofing your crawlspace, you can trust Reliable Basement Services to get the job done right. A family-owned and operated company, Reliable Basement Services has served the greater Chicagoland area for more than ten years. We offer a full spectrum of basement services, charging reasonable rates for work that includes crack repairs, sump pump systems, basement waterproofing, basement windows, and floor repair. Our consistently high standards have made us an award-winning Chicago basement waterproofing contractor and earned us thousands of satisfied customers all over Chicago. For more information, call (630) 318-4888 or visit our website for a free quote.