The crawl space of your home is probably something you rarely give a second thought to. Most people who have a crawl space never really think about the condition of the space and what sort of impact it can have on their home and health. Well, your crawl space can have a huge impact on the condition of your home and on the health of you and your loved ones.
There are many ways in which your crawl space can impact your home. This is why you need to keep this area clean, and you need to ensure that crawl space repair is carried out as and when necessary. It is also important to familiarize yourself with the signs that there may be a problem with your crawl space, as this will enable you to take swift action. So, in this article, we will look at some of the ways in which your crawl space can impact your home.
How Your Home May be Affected
It is important to remember that air flows from the bottom of your home, which is the crawl space, to the top, and this is known as the stack effect. Some people refer to the crawl space as the gut of a building because what goes on down there can impact what goes on in your home. Some of the ways in which your home may be affected are:
Weakening the Structure
When your crawl space has problems such as stagnant standing water and other issues, it can affect the very structure of your home. This is because it can have a damaging effect on the foundation and wooden structures, and it can cause floors to sag. This can have a serious impact on the stability of your home, and it can lead to serious hazards.
Unpleasant Smells
When your crawl space is left neglected, you probably don’t want to imagine what is going on down there. However, you will soon get to know about it because it will eventually start affecting your home. One of the things you may notice is that a very unpleasant musty odor starts to take over your home, and this can be very difficult to live with.
Mold and Mildew
Another of the serious effects of a neglected crawl space is the spread of mold and mildew. Not only does this look unsightly, but it can have a huge impact on the condition of your home, and it can also put your health at risk. For those who have respiratory conditions and allergies, this can pose a particularly high risk.
Low Air Quality
The quality of the air you breathe can have a huge effect on your health and quality of life. When your crawl space is neglected, it will impact the quality of air in your home. This can then have an effect on your health and can significantly reduce your life quality.
These are some of the main ways in which the condition of your crawl space can impact your home.