If the ground is saturated under your home, puddles and standing water will collect. This gradually compromises the soil beneath the footings and allows the foundation to settle. If too much water collects in the ground around your home, it generates hydrostatic pressure. This pressure makes the soil expand and push against your foundation, which can cause it to crack, bow inward or give way. Any of these situations severely compromise the structural stability of your home.
If the moisture is allowed to pervade the space for an extended period of time, the structural wood framing system will weaken and begin to rot. This is especially likely if there is debris in your crawl space, like fiberglass insulation. At one time, builders thought insulating the crawl space with fiberglass batting was a sound practice. But time has shown us that batting will hold water like an itchy pink dishrag, and keep the structure surrounding it moist and humid.
This ever-present dampness accelerates rotting and provides an enticing location for insects and mold. Need more information? You can learn more about your crawl space and its potential problems with the solutions you need in our Guide to Crawl Space Repairs for homeowners. Picture taken by an Acculevel project manager during a routine free estimate appointment. Wet fiberglass insulation, mold, a rotting joist and bandboard are all clearly visible. A wet foundation or wood structure guarantees that there is at least some biological growth; water intrusion goes hand-in-hand with mold.
Our homes have a tremendous amount of water flowing in and out daily. Except in extreme circumstances, this occurs via the plumbing of the home. Water pipes bring water in from a municipal source of well, and sewer lines take it away. Hot water heaters are also connected via lines to the municipal water source.
If any of these lines, whether they bring freshwater or sewer into the house break or clog water can be allowed in. A broken line can dump a vast amount of water into your house before you even realize something has happened.
If this occurs with a sewer line, there will be deeper sanitation issues at play. The water damage and health hazard posed by both sewer lines can be daunting.
A professional will be needed to repair your lines, but also to clean up and repair the damage caused. In the case of torrential rain, another key problem that can develop is an insufficient drainage system. In order to prevent this, you may have a French drain installed or another form of drainage.
Sometimes despite our best efforts, the drainage systems around your home are overwhelmed. When this happens, often due to weather or natural disaster, water begins to back up. This backing up uses the path of least resistance, which can lead it straight into your home. A home with a dirt crawl space costs more to heat and cool.
The reason for this is damp air takes more energy to heat or cool and more energy used means higher energy bills. Mold loves moisture. And mold loves to eat dead organic materials, like wood, paper, and cardboard. The bad news is most crawl spaces have lots of moisture, as well as wood and other organic materials for mold to grow on.
Mold also likes to eat dead insects and there are usually lots of those in the crawl space too. Vents in the crawl space provide an open invitation for insects and pests.
Vents also let in moisture, creating the ideal home for mold. Nobody wants to buy a house with mold. Dust mites thrive in humid environments, so they love homes with a dirt crawl space underneath. Dust mites are microscopic parasites that live in your bedding, carpet, and furniture. Dust mite droppings float in the air and can trigger allergies and asthma.
Other pests, like termites, spiders, mice, rats, and snakes love damp, dirt crawl spaces too. There are three main causes of water in the crawl space:. Gay, Ron. Welkin House , Chapter 6: Housing Structure. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Actively scan device characteristics for identification.
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