Moisture: Your Crawl Space’s Worst Enemy

Wood rot can almost always be attributed to some sort of overwhelming moisture in your crawl space. If you’re experiencing too much moisture in your crawl space, you can run into problems that stretch far past just wood rot.

What else can moisture do to your crawl space? These problems can easily arise with unchecked crawl space moisture.

Mold and Mildew

This is one of the most prominent issues associated with a moist crawl space. If your crawl space has too much moisture, it’s easy for mold and mildew to start growing all across your crawl space.

Mold and mildew have wide-reaching consequences. You could experience health problems and structural damage. Plus, these problems don’t just stay contained to your crawl space; they rise up to the rest of your house as well.

Because it’s so easy for mold and mildew to grow in moist crawl spaces, it’s important for you to handle crawl space moisture early. A JES foundation repair expert can not only determine whether or not you have mold but also help you deal with it.

Insects and Rodents 

Once your crawl space starts having issues with mold, the next step is almost always insects. When insects move in to feed on the mildew and mold, rodents will then start to infest the area to feed on the insects.

These insects and rodents can cause their own health problems, and it can be very upsetting to handle a pest infection. However, you can usually avoid it if you start with the problem early.

Your best bet when it comes to avoiding insect and rodent infestations is to start handling the problem early. As soon as you start to suspect you have high humidity in your crawl space, contact a JES expert for a free inspection.

A Lack of Insulation

Moisture in your crawl space very quickly starts seeping into the crawl space insulation, which is supposed to help your home stay warm in the winter and cool in the summer. However, the moisture takes much of that away.

Wet crawl space insulation is difficult to clean up and replace, and it’s a great place for mold and mildew to grow. Plus, moisture reduces your insulation’s R-value, which means it’ll start working less effectively to insulate the space.

If you already have wet crawl space insulation, the only option is to replace it. A JES expert will be able to clean up and replace your wet crawl space insulation professionally.