The Benefits Of Keeping Your Crawl Space Clean

Crawl spaces are areas of limited heights under the house flooring that provide access to the pipeline system, electrical systems, and wirings. They are often considered to be an extra storage space that homeowners use to store their junk. It’s one of the most important, yet overlooked, parts of the house. Keeping this area well-maintained and clean goes a long way in protecting the house and the people who live in it. It’s an integral part of maintaining an efficient house. 

Here are some of the most important advantages that a clean crawl space can offer you:

Protecting Your House Against Mold

The organic dead matter and moisture that are often found in crawl spaces are the perfect combination to create a breeding ground for mold to grow, especially if the area isn’t thoroughly ventilated. Mold isn’t just dangerous in terms of its effects on the house, it’s also hazardous to our health. In the long run, people can start developing serious lung problems and chronic conditions. Mold is especially dangerous for people with allergies and chest problems. However, most homeowners, nowadays, live in houses with open vented crawl spaces. These vents can freshen the air and circulate it well throughout the belly of the house. The only problem is that the outside air is usually warmer than the air inside the house. This results in the occurrence of condensation. That’s why you need to keep an eye on this area and tend carefully to its cleanliness. You may want to consider crawl space waterproofing in Springfield (or waterproofing wherever you are) to fully establish moisture-free, mold-free conditions in your crawl space.

 

Structural Damage Control

Moisture doesn’t only cause mold. It sits stagnant for long periods of time before anyone discovers it as the area is usually neglected. Water can then cause serious damages to the foundational support of your house as it starts eating away at wooden beams. The only way to avoid these problems is by reducing the humidity in the air to prevent the formation of condensation that leads to high moisture levels, which is easily taken care of with a dehumidifier. Educating yourself more on crawl space dehumidifiers for your home as well as other ways that you can keep your home’s humidity levels low is extremely important to avoid these structural damages that otherwise, are inevitable. WHO guidelines state that moisture control and ventilation should be followed religiously in any indoor space to avoid several health issues and to also avoid the sick-building syndrome.

Reducing Rodent Invasions

Many homeowners consider their crawl spaces to be an extra storage space where they pile up old boxes and lots of junk. The dark, humid space that is full of old boxes is a perfect magnet for rodents. Rabbits, raccoons, squirrels, chipmunks, and many other creatures are attracted to live in these spaces. Soon enough, the cute chipmunks will start gnawing on your electrical wires. Also, you have to bear in mind that once rodents make a home out of your crawl space, their scents will attract other creatures. It makes the perfect safe shelter for them to store food and breed.

Energy Efficiency

Many people don’t realize that their crawl spaces might be letting cold air in. This makes it harder for heaters to efficiently distribute heat throughout the house. Heating systems will have to work harder and consume more power. All of this can be avoided by insulating crawl spaces to stop warmer air from leaving or cold air from entering the house. This way you will ensure that your heating system will be able to work in a more efficient manner. We need to think of crawl space insulation as a part of the house that is vital to be insulated just like the rest of your house. Thus, the amount of heat needed for the house will be reduced, which consequently reduces energy costs.

Air Quality

While all the previous points are extremely critical for running the house efficiently, this one holds the most gravity. Crawl space affects the quality of the air you are breathing in the house; from 40% and up to 60% of the air you breathe while at your home, is circulated air from your crawlspace. Neglecting the basic important tips for keeping a well-maintained crawlspace will lead to serious negative impacts on the house residents. These negative effects are specifically fatal for people who already struggle with different allergies and breathing problems. That’s why caring for your crawl space is an essential key point in caring for you and your family’s health.

While the saying “out of sight, out of mind” is true in many cases, there are some parts that you should never neglect when you are trying to create a healthy environment in your house. Making sure that you follow the basic recommended tips for cleaning and dehumidifying the air in your crawl space will not only protect your house from several issues, but it will also protect you and your family from serious health problems.