Some people who have crawl spaces underneath their Nashville homes pay very little attention to them. In fact, many ignore these spaces completely, which means that they never know if and when any issues arise with the crawl space. This then poses a huge risk, because the state of the crawl space can have a direct impact on the condition of the main home. This is why you should never ignore the crawl space at your Nashville home and should arrange crawl space repairs if any issues arise. Learn more here.
By keeping a close eye on the space under your home, you can quickly determine when any issues arise. This means that you can then get the damage dealt with quickly and efficiently by an expert, which then enables you to protect your home from a wide range of issues. These are issues that can affect the health of your loved ones, your living conditions, and appearance of your home, and your finances. In this article, we will look at some of the reasons it is important not to ignore your crawl space.
Some of the Reasons You Should Keep an Eye on the Space
There are many reasons why you should keep an eye on this space and get any repairs dealt with quickly. You may also want to consider encapsulation so that the crawl space is protected and easier to maintain. Some of the reasons you should keep this space in good condition are:
To Reduce the Risk of Infestations
One of the things you can achieve by looking after your crawl space and keeping it protected is to reduce the risk of pest infestations at your home. Pests love crawl spaces that are in bad shape and are neglected by humans. It gives them the ideal place to breed, and it provides them with easy access to your home where they can cause extensive damage and huge problems. They can spread disease, cause hygiene issues, and cause damage that can cost a fortune to repair.
Protecting Your Property Structure
Another of the reasons you need to ensure this space is not ignored is to protect the structure of your property. When your crawl space is not looked after, pools of water can form that are left there to stagnate. As this happens, they can start to eat away at the wooden supports and rot them. This then results in instability when it comes to your home, and it could lead to serious problems as well as posing hazards.
Avoiding Mold and Damp
Mold and dampness can arise from a neglected crawl space, and this is another reason not to neglect the space. Once you get dampness and mold in your home, it can be difficult and expensive to get rid of. It can also cause a range of issues such as ill-health, aesthetic problems, and poor air quality.
Now that you have got a clear insight into how detrimental ignoring your crawl space can be over time, the next step is to find out what you can do to keep it safe. Keeping the major problems that can plague your crawl space in mind, a number of diversified solutions have been devised to counter them. A few of them are given below!
Effective Solutions
- Encapsulating The Crawl Space
Encapsulation entails providing essential moisture resistance to your crawl space. This involves using a high-performance vapor barrier to shield the walls of the crawl space and the dirt in there. The material used as the barrier comprises multiple layers so as to provide cross-lamination and keeps moisture at bay.
- Installing Dehumidifiers
If you are living in Nashville, you must be familiar with humidity. The use of dehumidifiers in the rooms to check the humidity is a common practice.
However, crawl spaces are often left out. Nevertheless, the same can actually be done to prevent moisture accumulation in your crawl space.
Since it is comparatively larger than your rooms, it is advisable to install a heavy-duty dehumidifier under the supervision of a foundation contractor. This will keep moisture as well as bugs and pests at bay.
- Draining Solutions
It is very easy for water to enter the crawl space. Therefore, it is crucial to make a way for it to flow out easily so that it doesn’t pool up in and around the place. There are a number of ways to go about it. Installing drains, sump pumps, and waterproofing the basement can go a long way in keeping the situation under control.
- Repairing The Frames
At times, a little carelessness or ineffective protective measures can lead to the destruction of the frame. Insects, pests, moisture can take a toll on the frames of your house. Once that is done, preventive measures won’t come to the rescue. You will have to contact foundation repair companies to renovate the framing and restore your confidence on the safety of your house.
This might encompass, provision of extra support or replacement of the damaged part. Once it is renewed, you will be advised by the foundation contractor to install one of the above-mentioned solutions to prevent further damage.
Conclusion
Crawl spaces tend to be amongst some of the most neglected places. Though it is understandable that they are mostly out of sight and are seldom visited, the threat they can pose to the safety of the house cannot be undermined.
Unkempt crawl spaces, as explained above, can lead to foundation damages. Moreover, it gives way for pests, and house bugs which in turn post health risks over time. Therefore, it is essential to keep these things in mind and consider keeping crawl spaces in good shape.
If you have shifted to a new Nashville home, then it is best to take necessary measures at the earliest to keep your crawl space safe from moisture and pests. If you find that they are already present over there, then don’t wait a minute to get it all repaired and install preventive solutions. Remember, an ignored crawl space is like a slow poison that can kill your house over time.