4 Signs of Crawl Space Problems

If your home sits on top of a crawl space, there’s a good chance you don’t go down there very often. Why would you? They’re often small, dark, and dirty. But even that small space can cause big problems in your home. Here are some signs in your home that indicate trouble in your crawl space.

Smells

This is the most commonly noticed crawl space issue, and there’s a reason for that. The smell of a must crawl space, often caused by mold and moisture issues, can permeate the entire home. Smelly air circulates in the HVAC system and even comes up through the crawl space access.

Cold Floors

If there are cold spots on your first floor, there’s a good chance your crawl space insulation is lacking - or completely gone. In the winter, cold air from outside enters your crawl space through gaps in the rim joist or exposed crawl space vents. Many crawl spaces have traditional fiberglass insulation, which gets weighed down with moisture over time and eventually fails - and falls - leaving your floors exposed and cooling them considerably.

Soft Floors

Is there “a spot” on your first floor that everyone knows to step over? Maybe it’s sagging, or spongy, or just doesn’t feel right. That’s a sign of a failing support beam. This can be due to structural concerns like the home settling, or can be another sign of moisture in the crawl space. Wooden support beams absorb moisture and weaken over time, creating those soft spots in your floor.

Angry Contractors

Plumbing and HVAC utilities are often located in a home’s crawl space, which means the people most likely to be down there are contractors. Do they emerge dirty, covered in spiders, wet, or just plain angry? That could mean your crawl space is less than fun to be in. Ask them what they’re seeing down there, and how you can improve it.

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No matter how much you try to ignore your crawl space, whatever is happening down there will eventually make its way up into your home. Wouldn’t life be easier if it was a clean, dry, structurally sound space that you could truly put out of your mind? Call us today to schedule your free inspection, and stop wondering what’s lurking below.