In Oklahoma, many homes are built atop crawlspaces where vital structural elements like pipes and air ducts are placed, right over your foundation. If water gets into your crawlspace, it puts your home’s structure at risk of wood rot, unhealthy mold growth, and more. These issues are costly to repair, putting your home’s overall value and safety at risk.
So, identifying crawlspace issues early will save you time, money, and hassles. Here’s what to look for and act on.
Learn to Spot These 7 Red Flags of Crawlspace Damage
1. Cracks in Drywall
When damaging water sneaks into your crawlspace, it eats away at your foundation. As your foundation shifts and cracks, the support for your home becomes unevenly distributed. Floors and walls get pulled out of their proper alignment—and cracks show up on walls, ceilings, and at the corners of windows and doors. Have any cracks you notice checked by a professional to ensure they’re the result of normal settling, and not foundation damage.
2. Uneven Ground Floor
When your foundation is firm, it makes the other parts of your home—including floors—firm as well. If your ground flooring sags, feels unstable, has dips or ripples, or seems spongy rather than secure, it’s likely your subfloor joists and support beams are weakened from excess moisture or pests in your crawlspace.
3. Increased Humidity and Musty Odors
The rooms within your home should feel comfortable, especially with air treated by your heating and air conditioning unit. If your crawlspace is too humid, the problem will seep into your living spaces. Excess humidity can show up in signs like mold growth in closets, unpleasant mildewy odors that are hard to pin down, or condensation on the inside of your windows.
4. Cold Floors in Winter
Because crawlspaces are vulnerable to outdoor temperatures, the weather’s impact on your home can be noticeable—especially if your crawlspace isn’t well insulated. During the winter, that shows up in cold floors underfoot. While that alone is annoying, it’s also a sign that on humid days, moisture is getting in and doing damage that can weaken your foundation over time.
5. Increased Energy Bills
If you notice that your heating and air-conditioning unit is turning on more often, working harder, and driving up your utilities costs, that can be a sign of a crawlspace problem. As moisture sneaks in underneath your house, humidity results—and it rises into your living spaces. Your HVAC may run more often as a result.
6. Worsening Asthma and Allergies
When your crawlspace lacks sufficient insulation or is suffering from water infiltration, this creates an environment for mold and mildew spores to grow and spread. These nasty, unhealthy spores get into your air ducts and make their way into your living areas. For those with asthma, allergies, and other respiratory illnesses, symptoms may worsen, putting their health at greater risk. And even for those who are normally free of these issues, coughing and sinus problems may start to become a problem.
7. Pest Infestations
Because your crawlspace is at ground level, it may be easy for pests such as rodents, termites, spiders, and ants to enter. The dark space offers shelter, and if moisture is present, pests can thrive there—unwanted, of course! You’ll know your crawlspace isn’t sufficiently watertight and airtight if you see rodent droppings, chewed up insulation, nests, or damaged wood in the crawlspace or around your home. You may also see more insects within your house, or hear strange, scratching noises. It’s important to address pest infestations quickly and seal up areas that may be letting them in, before they do further damage.
Act Fast to Protect Your Home with a Thorough Crawlspace Inspection
Should you see any of these red flags of crawlspace damage, it’s vital to act quickly to address them and protect your home. An in-depth crawlspace inspection from our expert team at Edens Structureal Solutions will help identify (and also rule out) any causes of your problems so you know exactly what you need to do to get relief.
If the issue isn’t related to your crawlspace, we’ll tell you plain and simple. And if your crawlspace turns out to be at risk, we’ll provide a clear path forward. Learn more about how our crawlspace services can give you confidence that your home is safeguarded.
