Just because your crawl space is under your house and you never go down there, doesn’t mean it’s okay to have a damp or wet dirt crawl space. The fact is, a dry crawl space is much healthier for you and your family and addressing the cause of your wet crawl space should be done immediately.
Water in your crawl space gets there predominantly by rainwater seepage from the surrounding soil after heavy rains. If your gutters are leaking due to cracks, holes, or clogged with debris, the water will spill over the sides during heavy rainstorms and run down the sides of your foundation walls. As the water builds up at the bottom of your crawl space foundation it creates “Hydrostatic Pressure” at the base of your foundation. This will force the water into your dirt crawl space, effectively flooding the floor below your living space.
Rainwater flooding your crawl space isn’t good, but the water itself won’t ruin your home. It’s the water vapor, moisture and high humidity that comes with it, that causes rot, mold, energy loss, and attracts bugs and critters. And these problems don’t just stay down in your crawl space. 50% of the air you breathe upstairs in your living space comes from below – this means mold spores, musty smells (caused by mold growth), and humid air that dust mites love. What is in your crawl space is in your home!
Standing water in your dirt crawl space is unhealthy for you and your family and so is damage such as mold and wood rot. However, your crawl space doesn’t have to be flooded to be a major health risk. The numerous ways a wet or damp crawl space can impact your family’s health are surprising and scary.
Mold requires two things to thrive… 1. Moisture. 2. Organic material, (like wood, paper, and cardboard). A clogged rain gutter that leaks rainwater down the foundation wall and into your crawl space creates all the moisture needed for mold to grow. And, your crawl space has plenty of wood and other organic materials for mold to have a picnic.
And the wet crawl space news keeps getting worse. The fact is, mold releases airborne spores that eventually make their way upstairs into your living space. Mold in your crawl space is NOT good for your health or your property value. Nobody wants to buy a house with mold, or musty smells!
Dust mites are the #1 indoor allergen in the USA. They thrive in moist, humid environments, so they are in their element in homes with a dirt crawl space and leaking rain gutters. Dust mites are microscopic parasites that live in your bedding, carpet, and furniture. Dust mite droppings are invisible to the human eye, and they hover in the air and can exacerbate allergies and asthma. And these conditions are bot just good for dust mites, pests like termites, spiders, mice, rats, and snakes thrive in damp, moist, and flooded dirt crawl spaces as well. Ughh!
Once your dirt crawl space becomes wet or damp with rainwater seeping in due to clogged or broken gutters, you will see your home costs more to heat and cool. The scientific explanation is that damp air takes more energy to heat or cool than dry air, and the more energy you use, the higher your energy bills are.
Call Glide Force Gutters today, and keep your crawl space dry from leaking rainwater running down your foundation and into your crawl space.
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