Is Regular Crawl Space Inspection Really Important?
Does the window get broken? Immediate fix. Roof leaking? Call the roofing contractor right away. But when something is wrong with crawl space, it’s easy to ignore. Simply because the area of the house you don’t look at every day and the problems are not so obvious.
The moment the damage occurs in the crawl space is not less significant. On the contrary, it can quickly turn into a serious problem overnight that affects your home’s health. Crawl space encapsulation is an essential part of a home as they contain functional pieces such as electrical wires, plumbing, and ductwork systems. They are the base of the entire house. And it leads to the trouble of accumulating moisture, mold growth, excessive heat, and more. These factors lead to an array of issues.
It can be properly maintained for the long-term with regular home maintenance inspection by house foundation repair contractors. Let’s see why it is so significant and when is the right time to call the experts.
Why inspect your crawl space?
It is the same as neglecting a basement, just like you ignore crawl space. The problems can lead to more costly repairs. When you truly dislike to get down to the process through the access door and crawl to get inside, it’s a necessary part of owning a home. When you inspect crawl space, it should become a habit like inspecting attic, roof, or gutters.
The ignorance can lead to problems inside the actual house, and you will observe an increase in humidity or dampness. You will notice your floor feels squishy and soggy and signs of mice in your cupboards. You don’t want to be in shock when you open your bills and see they have doubled or tripled. So these are a few reasons you need timely house foundation repair for crawl space encapsulation.
Importance of regular crawl space inspection
It should be on your to-do list and inspected as often and keen-eyed as your roof, basement or gutters. That’s how important it is. A crawl space encapsulation is a great idea for any homeowner and tells you whether your home is safe. Let’s see some of the essential causes why it’s necessary.
Detect potential problem
The crawl space is either out of sight or out of mind for most homeowners. It makes the regular inspection much more critical. It gives companies and homeowners a chance to look at changes in crawl space over time. Professional home inspectors are equipped to identify problems that you would typically ignore until it results in structural damage and expensive repairs.
Protect the entire house
Problems starting with crawl space affect the entire house. When regular inspections are missed or ignored, small problems can turn more costly. It can affect the worth of your home and damage you when you try to sell. Neglected crawl space can cause issues:
-
Increase in dampness and humidity
-
Soggy, damaged floors.
-
Higher utility bills.
-
Poor air quality.
-
Mold and mildew growth that affect you and your family’s health.
Support real estate deals
At house foundation repair, Knoxville, the real estate agent suggests that their clients get a home inspection prior to listing. It helps them to predict the exact sell price after considering potential repair costs. In addition, it gives sellers awareness of any issues and offers a potential buyer the latest maintenance report.
The inspection shows that essential repairs need to be made; buyers can ask sellers to renegotiate the selling price or tell them to do the necessary repairs prior to closing.
How to check your crawl space encapsulation?
The easiest way to observe that something is wrong with insulation is to smell it. Damaged insulation smells moldy and musty, and if your space smells like this, it’s time to crawl space repair and call for help. If you never examine the insulation by yourself, it is wiser to leave the inspection to professionals. Let’s see how they will take in examining the insulation.
Locating the insulation
If you aren’t the first owner of the house you live in, and the insulation was installed when you moved in, you might not have an idea where it is. It could be inside or outside your home. Your contractor will search for the insulation and then start the inspection.
Categorize your insulation
The contractor needs to understand what they are dealing with and check what type of insulation it is. There are different types of insulation, from fiberglass insulation to foam board. Knowing the variety will help the contractor to detect the signs of damage better.
Start searching for damp spots
The contractor will check the insulation and look for damp spots after putting on the safety gear. In this way, they will tell which parts of insulation need to be replaced. Also, they will look for indications of water damage beyond those in your insulation.
Don’t make a huge mistake by neglecting!
Homeowners tend to neglect the crawl space. But don’t! It’s a sensitive area of the house and can affect the entire house. A crawl space encapsulation inspection should not be considered for buyers and sellers only. It should be something that is checked regularly, like a basement or attic inspection. Therefore, insulating this space and maintaining insulation is best for your home. Get an inspection from a house foundation repair specialist, and you will find out the repair service you might need.