How the Crawl Space Affects Buying a House
If you’re house hunting and have your eye on a home with a crawl space, there are a few things that you should know prior to putting in an offer. Continue reading to learn what a crawl space is and the troubles that can come with buying a home with a crawl space.
The space underneath your home but above the ground is called the crawl space. They can typically be found in homes without a basement and are typically home to electrical wiring, insulation, duct work, plumbing, and more. Due to their role in the home, in addition to their darkness and low ceilings, they’re typically forgotten or ignored by homeowners. However, it’s important to think of the crawl space as the gut of the home—therefore it’s integral to the overall health and value of the home.
What problems are common in crawl spaces?
When crawl spaces are neglected, it can invite a host of issues into your home. The number one problem is excess moisture because moisture in the crawl space can lead to mold and mildew growth, structural damage like wood rot, unwanted pests living in your crawl space, and more. All of these factors will not only negatively impact the value of your home, but they can lead to poor indoor air quality and affect you and your family’s health.
To avoid any problems or costly repairs down the road, it’s important to have the crawl space thoroughly inspected before putting an offer in a home. After the purchase, you can then get guidance from a professional crawl space company on how to properly look after your crawl space and keep it dry and protected for years to come.
Excess moisture, mold, and mildew growth
One of the most detrimental things to find in your crawl space is excess moisture whether it be in the form of humidity, standing water, damp crawl space soil, etc. It doesn’t take long for mold to grow, therefore it doesn’t take long for it to spread.
Not only can mold wreak havoc on the natural materials in your crawl space like wood, but it can spread throughout the entire home and cause health issues for those with allergies or respiratory problems. Mold is also visually very unappealing and can be tough to get rid of. It can also make your energy costs skyrocket as you try to keep your home warm, dry, and free of strange odors.
The best way to prevent moisture from entering the crawl space is to seal off any and all possible entry points. This need is greater for homes along the Jersey Shore due to the region’s high humidity and proximity to the ocean, so it should definitely be taken into consideration when purchasing a home at the shore.
Another alternative is to install a system within your crawl space to help you monitor and control the temperature in the crawl space. This will also help to fight excess humidity and temperature changes from season to season.
Structural damage to your property
Excess moisture in the crawl space doesn’t stop at mold and mildew growth. Over time, standing water or humidity can eat away at the wooden supports of your home and cause wood rot. This will negatively impact the structural stability of the home.
The best way to avoid these structural issues is to have a thorough crawl space inspection prior to buying a house to ensure that the structural integrity of the home is in good condition. Then, it’s important to listen to the directions given by the crawl space professionals to ensure that you are properly maintaining your crawl space. The crawl space is a key part of the home that you will have to look after as a homeowner, just as you would make sure the roof is in good condition to avoid any leaks or water damage.
Unwanted pests living in your home
If the crawl space is neglected, there is a chance that pests are lurking underneath. Crawl spaces are dark, secure, and not a high traffic area. When you add humidity and/or excessive moisture into the crawl space environment, it creates the perfect habitat for mice, rodents, bugs, and more because they have food, water, and shelter. This will bring down the hygiene level of your home and leave you vulnerable to airborne pathogens. Not only this, but pests can be costly to get rid of and fix the damage they caused.
One way to avoid pests from entering the crawl space is to have it properly insulated. This will act as a barrier to keep pests out and the correct crawl space temperature in. If pests are already in the crawl space, it’s important to perform a pest control service to immediately get rid of the pests and then eliminate the source of their attraction.
Working with Jersey Shore Crawlspace Enhancement
At Jersey Shore Crawlspace Enhancement, we are proud to have been helping our neighbors along the shore keep their homes healthy and protected for over 20 years now. We know that purchasing a home is one of the greatest investments one can make, so we are happy to work with home buyers and sellers to ensure that the home is healthy while protecting the value. Here’s why you should choose Jersey Shore Crawlspace Enhancement when in the process of buying a house:
We offer a comprehensive crawl space evaluation to monitor the moisture conditions within your crawl space, all the while ensuring that your home is not at risk for issues commonly found in crawl s[aces.
We perform this evaluation 3 times throughout the year to stay in front of seasonal issues, monitor the moisture conditions, and service your vents to ensure proper ventilation. Trust the crawl space specialists at Jersey Shore Crawlspace Enhancement and give us a call today to schedule your 22-point crawl space evaluation!