Your Crawl Space

If your home doesn't have an in ground basement then it may have a crawl space. Have you ever taken a look in there? Today's new homes with crawl spaces will have the floor of the crawl space skim coated with concrete over plastic to keep the moisture down. If your home is older you may only have gravel on the floor of the crawl space and nothing else. With only gravel, the moisture coming up from the ground could be quite high and this moisture will eventually penetrate the rest of your home. Mold could also develop and cause serious health problems. An inexpensive fix would be to cover the gravel with thick construction plastic. Make sure that the plastic is well taped on any overlaps, joints and against the concrete foundation. Doing this will dramatically reduce moisture and give you a healthier home to live in. If you already have concrete in your crawl space it is wise to inspect it yearly. Look for signs of pests and find out how they got there. Check for pooling water which may be a sign of a clogged perimeter drainage system. Remember it's often the hidden places of your home that bring the most headaches. Keep a yearly check on it and you'll be ahead of the game.