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Reasons You Should Winterize Your Crawl Space

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It’s not even officially winter yet, but the chilly days and nights have already hit Maryland. The forty-degree days and thirty-degree nights have people wrapping up and staying indoors. ***

There is someplace else that is also quite cold this time of year. Your home’s crawl space. As we have covered in previous blogs, your crawlspace is an integral part of your home.

Now that winter is only a few weeks away, you may want to consider winterizing your crawlspace. Here are a few things that you can do:

  1. Add insulation: Insulation will soak in the moisture and make your home more comfortable. Adding a layer of insulation will make a big difference in the warmth of your home. It will also reduce the moisture from condensation on the walls so your home will be warmer during the winter. 
  2. Check for leaks. As the temperature drops, rain may turn to sleet or snow. Snow runs off into the crawl space creating a constant presence of moisture. This leads to cracks, mildew, and home foundation damage. Water may also drain from it causing a myriad of home structure issues. 
  3. Air vents should be closed. If air vents are open, they can freeze pipes and water lines. To prevent this, close the air vents. The air vents send warm air into the home which circulates cold air pulled through the air vents in the crawl space. 
  4. Insulate the pipes. If your pipes freeze, you are in trouble.  Check your pipes to see if they are cold and moist. The pipes closest to the walls need to be protected. Wrap them with blankets so they are protected from the cold. 
  5. Rodents are everywhere. Inspect your crawlspace for mice and rats. They will leave feces trails. When cold weather arrives, these rodents will make a home in your crawlspace to keep warm. Holes need to be plugged to prevent rodents from entering and staying.
  6. Add a vapor barrier. Crawl spaces with dirt floors may increase in humidity. Moisture gets trapped in the dirt and will evaporate. A vapor barrier will help. Vapor barriers block moisture. They will stop mold from forming. They prevent insects from burrowing in and also stop wood from dry rot. Depending on the floor in your crawl space, you can choose from several different types of vapor barriers. 

These are not expensive things to do but your crawl space will be protected. It will make your home more comfortable and protect the home from structural damage.

If you are having issues with your home comfort, you may need crawl space repair. Contact M. Taylor Enterprise for an inspection. We will analyze it and make recommendations. Our experienced crawl space repair team can make the necessary repairs. Call (301) 649-3406 or at matt@mtaylorenterprise.com for a free consultation. 

We serve the Montgomery County, Maryland area.

*** You can find out more about summer weather on the State of Maryland website. 

 

 

Foundation Repair

Down and Dirty: Crawl Space Repair for Your Home

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M Taylor Enterprise LogoOut of sight. Out of mind.

Nothing describes your home’s crawl space better. In fact, many homeowners don’t even know where their crawl space is located. It is so easy to overlook and forget.

Yet, in spite of being forgotten about, your home crawl space does some very important things, according to www.howstuffworks.com:

  • It gets the house up off the ground (especially important in damp or termite-prone areas).
  • It is a lot less expensive than a basement and comparable in price to a slab.
  • Ductwork and plumbing can run in the crawl space, meaning that they are easy to service and move over the lifetime of the house.

As you can see, your crawl space has important roles in the health of your home. And, like any other part of your home, it needs to be maintained and, occasionally, repaired.

So, here are some signs that your home’s crawl space needs to be repaired:

  1. Musty odors: Believe it or not, you should not have any musty smells coming from your crawl space. It should be clear of all those nasty odors. If you do have them, it probably means you have mold, moisture or water leak issues.
  2. Mold and mildew present: Speaking of mold and mildew, if you have it that means there is standing water in the crawl space. This mold will eventually spread to the rest of your home causing serious health issues. A licensed mold removal company should be dispatched promptly to remove the mold.
  3. Indoor humidity: When your crawl space has mold or mildew, it will cause the humidity levels in your home to be above normal. Soon, you will see mold and mildew on your walls, condensation on pipes, allergy-like symptoms and paint falling from walls.
  4. Pools of water in the crawl space:  Water standing in your crawl space means that pipes are leaking or there is insufficient drainage. This water eventually leads to a weakened foundation and development of mold and mildew. A vapor barrier may need to be installed.
  5. Floor damage: Water damage may be rotting underneath your home causing sagging floors. The floor joists may need to be replaced. Water leaks may have rotted the beams underneath your home, too.
  6. Higher power bills: A sudden increase in your electricity bills may be caused by the high humidity levels in the crawl space or poor air circulation. Poor insulation inside your crawl space makes your HVAC inefficient and forces it to work harder to cool or heat your home, thus increasing your power bills.

If you have noticed any or all of these red flags, your crawl space may need to be repaired. Have a licensed contractor do an inspection to determine the health of your crawl space and make any recommendations.

While your crawl space may be out of sight, out of mind, it is a vital part of your home and needs to be maintained. Don’t neglect it.

M Taylor Enterprise’s experienced crawl space repair team will visit your home in the Silver Spring, Maryland, Montgomery County, Maryland, Prince George’s County, Maryland  and parts of Howard County MD. We specialize in structural repair in crawl space with deteriorated joists and beams and columns We get the job done quickly and efficiently. Call us at (301) 649-3406 or email us at matt@mtaylorenterprise.com.