Crawlspace Tips

Venture below our home with us while John shows you the importance of maintaining a clean and dry crawlspace. Being one of the more rarely visited areas of your home, it’s hard to know what’s going on down below. These brief tips will help take out the guess work and provide lasting care!

Debris Removal: Especially in older homes, pieces of construction projects or forgotten keepsakes tend to get left under the home. These things can deteriorate or create homes for unwelcomed pests. Be sure to take a look and clear out anything that might be appealing to unwanted guests or cause structural damage as they rust and decay.

Moisture Control: Vapor barriers are a simple and cost-effective product. Most barriers are a sheet of either plastic or foil that covers expose soil below your house. This reduces moisture, preventing rust, mold and decay. Moisture can affect not only the life span of your HVAC, floor boards, and joists, it can affect the quality of the air you breathe, especially if mold is present.

Some other means to reduce moisture include dehumidifiers, which are typically used in more humid environments, and sump pumps, which are useful when the water line is above your foundation.

Ventilation: Ventilation is another key piece to keeping moisture beneath your home under control. Foundation vents are located along the outside of your home and create a natural air flow through the crawlspace. This airflow allows excess moisture to escape, further protecting your crawlspace.

Be sure these vents stay clear and maintained. Lawn clipping and yard waste tend to build-up outside your foundation over time, so be sure to clear your vents after every mow. Also, check the mesh when clearing debris. A hole in a foundation vent is a welcome entry to some less than welcome critters.

We hope these tips have been helpful, especially for our brand-new home owner friends. Feel free to leave comments below, or let us know what home projects you would like to hear about in the future!