How serious is mold in crawl space?
Our clients often ask us, how serious is mold and bacteria appearing in a Los Angeles home’s crawl space? Unfortunately, a home’s basement and crawl space (that area beneath the first floor – yes – the one you never go into) are typically exposed to moisture and unhealthy mold, mildew, and fungus, and even infestations by bugs, termites, mice, and rats. All this can expose your family to very serious health hazards and also take a bite out of the value of your property!
What is a crawl space?
A crawl space is that narrow space between the first floor of your home and the ground that the home is built on. A crawl space typically consists of a dirt floor and permanent vents to the outdoors, and is constructed out of hollow masonry blocks or poured concrete walls. These construction methods offer the home little or no protection against moisture or critter intrusion that can cause long-term structural damage and pose a serious health risk for vulnerable family members.
Is it normal to have moisture in a crawl space?
No, it’s really not normal to have a moist or wet crawl space! Not only does this breed mold, mildew, and bacteria which are harmful to anyone living in the home, such moisture can also get into the home’s organic building materials (e.g., wood framing) and cause it to rot away!
Many of our clients believe that a crawl space that is vented to the outside world will be dryer than an un-vented crawl space. However, research by the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory has shown that a vented crawlspace usually increases the moisture level under a home, rather than keep it dry. This is because crawlspaces typically collect moisture from groundwater saturation, rain runoff, overflowing gutters, and leaky pipes. Moreover, vents in a crawl space allow small rodents access into the area, where they often die, decompose, and create an additional health hazard!
To add insult to injury, moist crawl spaces actually cost more money to heat and air-condition, as a damp and wet area takes more energy to heat or cool, and this translates into higher energy bills. While some homeowners decide to “take matters into their own hands” and seal their crawl space vent openings, this actually increases the level of moisture, mold, mildew, and fungus, creating a potentially deadly situation if the basement or crawl space has in it a ventilated-type of combustible equipment like a home water heater!
Can mold in a crawl space make you sick?
If you have a wet basement or crawl space, this moisture condenses on cooler wood surfaces, promoting fungal growth, wood rot, and allowing harmful bacteria to multiple and get breathed-in by family members. If you are wondering whether mold, mildew, and bacteria in your crawl space can make you sick, the answer is yes!
How to get rid of moisture in crawl space?
If you are wondering how do I keep moisture down in my crawl space, there is an effective and reliable solution that can provide your family with a healthy and comfortable living space, prevent damage to your home, and lower your energy bills. Today’s top building scientists all agree that homeowners should install an affordable crawl space encapsulation system and a dehumidifier which prevents humid air that breeds mold, mildew, and fungus, gives life to nasty critters and bugs, and rots a home from the inside out.
If you are asking, are there crawl space contractors near me? The answer is yes! Your local Los Angeles crawl space encapsulation specialist is just a phone call away! Call Weinstein Construction for a free inspection of your basement and crawlspace – we can show you how crawl space repair is done! We are the leading crawl space repair company in Los Angeles! Whether it’s French drainage installation, installing a sump-pump to keep ground water out, adding a dehumidifier to dry the air, or doing exterior waterproofing, we do it all at an unbeatable price and value! Call us today at (866) 771-4847, and we’ll schedule you for a free crawl space encapsulation inspection and estimate! Your peace of mind, family health, and home value are worth it!
