Spring is coming quickly, and with that, you will want to start preparing your home for the warmer months. One of the areas that are most often forgotten about is your crawlspace. Your crawlspace is an area that should be maintained frequently to ensure that under your home is safe and dry.
1- Keep Your Crawlspace Dry
The ground up under your home contains a lot of moisture. Typically, moisture found in the ground under your home evaporates quickly. However, if you live in an area that is very wet and prone to flooding, the ground may always be wet. This moisture can also get inside of your house. Since the moisture has nowhere to grow, it just sits and breeds fungi and mold growth. This can damage your wood and insulation. Putting a vapor barrier in your crawl space will help to protect it. The vapor barrier is a large sheet of plastic that covers the entire crawlspace. You can get a professional contractor to do this for you to ensure that it is done properly.
2- Get Rid of Pests
Pests like rodents and insects can do a lot of damage and can easily enter through your crawlspace. You do not spend much time in your crawlspace, so it is often overlooked when it comes to pest control. Rats and mice can quickly build nests up under your house and then gain access into your home. These destructive creatures can cause damage to floors, walls, and more. Their droppings can also be toxic and carry several different diseases. Bugs like termites can quickly cause damage to your house, and your crawlspace can give them a perfect home. To ensure that no pests get into your crawlspace this spring, go through, and fill in any cracks and crevices. You may want to get a pest control service as well.
3- Insulate Your Crawlspace
If your crawlspace is not insulated, you should consider doing so. Fiberglass batting is the most commonly used material to insulate your crawlspace. In addition to using fiberglass batting, you may also want to consider adding spray foam insulation as well. This will help to seal every potential crack and hole in the crawlspace. This will help to keep the crawlspace clean, dry, and will help with your utility bills.
4- Clean The Crawlspace
Open up your crawlspace, and if there is dirt or standing water in it, you will want to clean it immediately. Dirty crawlspaces can lead to issues with bug infestation, and standing water can lead to issues with mold and mildew. If you do notice a recurrence of standing water in your crawlspace, you may want to have a pipe installed that will help to remove the standing water by sending it to the sump pump.
Maintaining your crawlspace this spring will help to ensure that under your house is dry and you are not at risk for issues like rotting wood and mold build-up. If you do not want to maintain your crawlspace yourself, consider getting a technician to come out to maintain it for you.
