Crawl space cleaning is often neglected or overlooked in home maintenance until it becomes an urgent issue. Getting ahead of something going wrong in your crawl space can save money, protect the longevity of your home, and improve the health of you and your family.
In general, it is recommended that you check on your crawl spaces at least twice a year. Many signs of needing a crawl space cleanout will be visible to a homeowner, but some are harder to pick up on. Here are a few sure signs that your crawl space is ready for a crawl space cleanout.
Time for Action: Recognizing 7 Signs of a Needed Crawl Space Cleanout
Dirt and clutter
Fallen insulation, dirt, and debris often clutter a crawl space. This added clutter makes it hard to access important mechanical elements in the crawl space. Not to mention, a cluttered crawl space makes the perfect environment for spiders, rodents, and other pests. Clearing out space in the crawl space will make any future maintenance a smoother process, and can help to clear up some bonus storage space.
Moisture in your home
Have you noticed excess moisture in your home? This could be coming from your crawl space. Check for visible signs of moisture in the crawl space, such as standing water, water damage, dampness, or mildew. A crawl space without a properly installed vapor barrier will allow moisture in the soil to seep into your home. Excess moisture in your crawl space can be very unsafe. This type of environment is susceptible to mold, fungus growth, and wood rot – all of which can cause serious hazards to your health and the structural integrity of your home. During a crawl space cleanout, our experts at Crawl Pros can remove and replace a leaking vapor barrier, helping to protect your home from excess moisture in the future.
Recent plumbing issues
If you have experienced any leaking or broken pipes recently, you will want to check on your crawl space. Plumbing issues can lead to standing water, damaged insulation, and foul odors that make their way into your home. Damages to the crawl space insulation can seriously impact your energy efficiency, costing you AND the environment. When moisture gets into the insulation, it becomes less effective – resulting in higher energy costs. Replacing wet crawl space insulation is often the safest and most efficient option for your home in the long run!
Unusual smells in your home
Speaking of odor in your home … around 40% of all airflow in your home travels through your crawl space. If you can’t quite pin down that unusual smell in your house, you might want to turn toward your crawl space. Moisture, rodent droppings, decaying animals, mold, and mildew can all create unpleasant smells that make their way into your home. If you suspect this might be the case in your home, it’s best to bring in a professional crawl space company to have it checked out.
Evidence of rodents or other animals
Noticing animal droppings is a clear sign of needing a crawl space cleanout. Rats and mice are the most common animals found to be living beneath your home. Larger animals such as skunks, possums, and raccoons, are often attracted to crawl spaces. Our partners at Pest Pros provide humane and effective rodent removal services.
Heavy rainfall or flooding
If you have recently experienced heavy rainfall or flooding around your home, you’ll want to check on the condition of your crawl space. Flooding can create extensive water damage that will need crawl space water removal and remediation from a professional. Flooding in a crawl space will rarely clear out on its own and can cause expensive damage to wood and insulation. If you live in a place that floods often, you’ll want to talk with a professional about installing a sump pump to reduce damages in the future.
Bad allergies
Allergies to dust and mildew can be triggered by the dust and dirt in your crawl space. When air travels into your home from the crawl space, it brings dust with it, contaminating your home. If you or someone in your family have sensitive allergies, a crawl space cleaning can help to freshen the air you breathe and reduce health issues.
What to Expect in Your Crawl Space Cleanout
Depending on the condition of your crawl space, a cleanout will be tailored to deliver what’s best for you and your home. Our trained crawl space cleaning crew at Crawl Pros delivers a wide range of services to keep your crawl space neat and clean. Here are just a few of the services we provide:
Removal of debris, rotting wood, and small animal carcasses
Repair and removal of faulty vapor barrier
Mold and Mildew removal
Old insulation removal
Air duct sealing, replacement, and repair
Odor neutralization
To see our crew in action, check out this video!
Leave the Dirty Work to Us: Contact Crawl Pros for Your Next Crawl Space Cleanout
Our trained professionals will help you to enjoy the space, health, and longevity of your home that a clean crawl space provides. We go out of our way to extend every courtesy and consideration in customer service, protecting the cleanliness of your home and answering your questions along the way. Crawl Pros is passionate about providing a range of services to help solve even the toughest of conditions. We simply deliver what we say we will to protect your home and family.
Contact Crawl Pros today for a free estimate at (866) 673-9626. We look forward to hearing from you!