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Crawl spaces are included in close to a fifth of every newly constructed home in the United States for a logical reason. It is conveniently simple to access important areas of the property through a crawl space. However, even crawl spaces require maintenance, similar to all other areas of a home.

If you’ve noticed poor air quality in your home, the moisture and damp air in the crawl space can be to blame. If there is mold, the damp air could cause the area to get covered with mold growth, posing a health risk to you and your household. What other indications point to potential problems with your crawl space?

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Here are 9 signs that you need to contact a crawl space repair contractor immediately:

1. Allergy or Asthma Attacks

Inadequate interior air quality is frequently caused by leaking or poorly ventilated homes that let harmful particles inside the house from the outside and/or the crawl area. Oftentimes, we think that germs are picked up outdoors when the problem lies within our home. You should get a crawl space inspection done to safeguard your household if you are having continuous issues with allergies or asthma.

2. Rodents & Insects

Animals including rats, snakes, and other vermin are certain to get into the crawl area due to inadequate insulation. Have your crawl area inspected if you observe scratching sounds or see those rats or creatures inside your house? In a house, rodents often pose a danger to your family. If they are in your crawl space, ultimately they can move in and become a major issue. This applies to vermin and any other animal entering the crawl area. Have it inspected by an expert, and have any openings that these animals can use closed off?

3. Pungent Smells

Bad scents and musty odors are caused by dampness in your crawl space. This might have caught your attention and you might not have noticed where it originated from, but it’s probably within the house. This smell is primarily caused by decaying objects and animals, as well as moisture. Since air streams from the crawl space, it enters the house directly and produces an intolerable odor.

4. Mold & Mildew

Musty smells often indicate mold. Because of the climate zone we reside in, the breathable crawl spaces frequently provide the ideal environment for the formation of mold. These tiny airborne spores can enter your home’s living space and harm your health. You should keep an eye out for mold and mildew since they can cause serious problems in subterranean spaces. Mold is likely to grow unnoticed in concealed areas like the crawl space. However, if you become aware of the stench, you should contact a specialist who is knowledgeable about how to handle it. If you’ve recently seen family members exhibiting allergies, mold, and mildew may be to blame. It’s crucial to eliminate mold before it gets harmful, primarily if there’s black mold which might lead to severe health problems.

5. Increased Humidity Inside

If your home has an open crawl area and there was a storm lately, there can be standing water there. The level of dampness you encounter is one factor that indicates the presence of water in the crawl space. Other potential sources of standing water include flooding, hydrostatic pressure, and plumbing leaks. You might need crawl space renovation if you find standing water. In your home, there will surely be a lot of humidity if there is water inside the crawl space. Among the most harmful problems you can experience is that the humidity can undermine the wood slats and compromise the strength of the foundation by fostering the growth of mold and mildew. Your home will also become unpleasant as a result of the high cost of air conditioning and high humidity. The stack effect makes humidity simple to detect. If you notice that the air inside is more humid than the outside, you might choose to hire an expert for crawl space repair, since airflow from the bottom of the house typically travels throughout the entire home.

6. Condensation

Condensation will occur after a period of high relative humidity. Excessive humidity in the atmosphere will cause it to begin accumulating on surfaces. The potentially hazardous surfaces in this instance include the floor, substructure, and beams. Condensation may also result in damp insulation in the crawl area, which is difficult to remove unless you replace it. You’ll need an expert to evaluate the crawlspace to see if the insulation has dropped or sagged as a result of moisture.

7. Rotting Wood and Warped Flooring

When wood is exposed to water for an extended period, it develops a fungal infection, rots, and loses its shape and structure. How can you tell whether the crawl space problems are causing the wood to rot? It could be best to bring in a specialist if the floors begin to seem unequal, a slope on one end, or feel springy. You’ll probably notice symptoms resembling wood rot if the issue is with the floor joists. Look for bouncy spots and sloping floor problems. In addition, whether or not there is a crawl space issue, having sinking flooring is a major issue that has to be fixed right now.

8. Damage to the Foundation

You must get foundation cracks examined right away because they are always an indication of a significant structural issue. Hairline cracks might not be a problem, but if they are more than an eighth of an inch, you have structural damage. The foundation serves as the structural backbone of your home, so if it is damaged you will likely face more serious problems if you don’t get it addressed right away.

9. Increased Utility Bills

Have your energy expenses increased recently? If the layer in the crawlspace is impacted, that could be the cause. It might be due to insufficient insulation. It could be difficult for the AC to regulate the air if it becomes too moist, which might result in high energy costs.

You have it now! These are some of the primary indications that you may have crawl space problems that need to be resolved, aside from dampness in the crawl space. Keep an eye out for these warning signals if your home has a crawl space so you can address issues before they become more serious. Call a professional team like Phantom Contractors, if you see these signs.