Where I live, we have several months out of the year that are packed with devastating storms. These storms have been known to damage entire communities and leave many people's lives turned upside-down. During the days and weeks following these storms, we pull together as a community to help each other rebuild and repair the homes we live in. We have worked alongside some of the best damage contractors in the country. This blog contains a ton of information about the things that we have learned from those contractors during these devastating times each and every year through the worst possible storms.
rebuilding after the storms have settled
What Is A Crawl Space, And Why Should It Be Waterproofed?
Samu Palo
A crawl space is a little area between your house and the ground. It's about large enough to crawl around in, and through it, most of your home's plumbing and electrical work is accessible. Crawl spaces are very useful in this regard, making things very accessible. They also serve the purpose of putting a barrier of air between your house and the ground — this can work to help insulate the house, among other things. It's a very basic thing and, in all likelihood, you have a crawl space if you do not have a basement. You've probably lived in houses that had crawlspaces through your life, whether you realized it or not.
So why waterproof this space? If nobody is going to be in it most of the time, it may seem like a costly step to take to no net benefit.
There are various reasons for this. The first and primary is that it helps prevent moisture from getting into your home. Most of the materials used to construct your home's foundations are not waterproof. Concrete and wood both can allow moisture through. This may lead to damage to your home's structure, from water weakening the foundation to mold.
If you don't waterproof your crawl space, you can end up having mold climb into your house. And then you will have a whole new problem, on top of the fact that your crawl space is still not waterproofed and the mold may return.
If you often have standing water in the crawl space, there are actually types of waterproofing that can be used to help prevent this from happening. Even if it does no structural damage at all, standing and stagnant water are dangerous to have around your home. Harmful bacteria can grow in these, and they serve as breeding grounds for mosquitoes, who can spread disease.
While in theory, this task could be done by yourself, it's best to find a service that handles it. They'll be familiar with the best ways to waterproof your crawl space, and will help you make a plan that best fits what you need. In addition, they will know what kind of issues they commonly run into and how to counter them. It is a difficult, tight space to work in under the best of conditions, so it is best to leave it to people who are experienced in this.
To learn more, contact a crawlspace waterproofing contractor.
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