If your Decatur home has a crawl space, educate yourself about the many problems that can affect this area and take steps to prevent the issues. Undetected crawl space problems can lead to health problems and structural damage requiring thousands of dollars to repair.  Taking time to protect and prevent the problems now helps maintain a healthy living environment for your family and protect the property against damage.

Common Crawl Space Problems

 

1- Uneven Floors

Uneven floors are one issue homeowners commonly experience when flooding or excess humidity levels accumulate in the crawl space. Rarely is uneven flooring an issue with the floor itself. Most often, settling and shifting of the foundation is the culprit. Settling and shifting may lead to wood rot that causes the beams on your subfloor to collapse or one of several other dangers.  

2- Standing Water

Standing water in the crawl space can cause termite and pest infestations, mold and mildew, musty odors, and even diseases since stagnant water is filled with bacteria. Call Southern Crawl Space if you notice standing water. A vapor barrier could stop this problem.  

3- Cold Floors

If your floor is cold to the touch, you’ll notice as soon as you put your feet on the floor upon waking each morning. It’s usually a concern during the winter and a sign of inadequate or a lack of crawl space insulation. Many people do not realize the importance of crawl space insulation beforehand but soon discover how beneficial it is in warning the floors and keeping temperatures in the home comfortable.  

4- Musty Odors

Most people describe a mildewy or stale smell as “musty.” It’s a common smell you’ll notice in the house if your crawl space has excess moisture or standing water. The cause of the water could be anything from a plumbing leak to heavy rainfall.  

5- Mold

Crawl space mold is dangerous to everyone in the family.  Mold releases spores into the air that contain mycotoxins that are harmful when we breathe them into our lungs. Mold growing in the basement can lead to health issues such as itchy eyes, coughing, asthma, allergies, and bronchitis. Southern Crawl Space offers moisture control services, including basement and crawlspace waterproofing, drainage system installation, and vapor barrier installation. SCS guarantees to fix your moisture issues permanently. Our trained team of technicians utilizes only the best solutions for your basement or crawlspace. We are proud to offer LumberKote™ and MaxxBarrier™ waterproofing sealers by WatsonSeal. We are Alabama’s ONLY Watson Seal Authorized Dealer. If you have a service request, give us a call. We will happily provide a free inspection and service estimate.