For many people, a crawl space is an area under the house where very little ever happens. Most of what we know about this part of our home comes from horror movies and TV shows where these areas are used as mystical portals to alternate dimensions and other creepy creatures. All jokes aside, there’s nothing particularly scary about crawl spaces except for the fact that they’re dark and dirty and weirdly damp and can contain all kinds of nasty things, including mice, spiders, insects, mold, mildew, and even snakes. That last one isn’t too surprising since most snakes love living in dark places like crawl spaces.
So before you seal up your crawl space with no way inside or turn it into storage or something equally unfun, consider investing in a professional crawl space cleaning and finishing service.
When most people think about crawl spaces, they think about dirt, spiders, and other creepy crawlers that probably carry diseases like the plague. Crawl space cleaning can help with all these things by ridding your crawl space of all possible pests and microorganisms that could lead to serious health complications, including respiratory problems, general illness, and even death in some cases.
Mold is a big problem when it comes to do-it-yourself projects in home repair and maintenance because so many people don’t know how to test for mold or what kind of damage mold can do if it’s not treated in time. Without regular treatment, one area affected by mold will lead to another, and soon your entire crawl space is filled with it.
Crawl spaces are made of dirt, which means they’re naturally prone to flooding when water gets in (which happens quite frequently). A professional can help fix this problem by installing drainage systems that prevent water from building up on the surface or seeping further into the earth, where it will have more contact with the wood frame of your home.
Mice, snakes, and other pests love living in dark places under houses because they provide shelter from the elements as well as opportunities for food sources like mice, who can pretty much live off anything if needed. But you don’t want them hanging around under your house, so you need a professional service to ensure all potential threats are eliminated before you seal up your crawl space.
Even if you don’t know it, the last thing you want to do is seal up your crawl space because you think it’s dirty or infested with pests or mold. Moisture is the enemy of any home and will cause problems with wood rot, mildew, and just general wear-and-tear on anything that comes into contact with it. Hiring professionals to ensure your crawl space is properly dry, clean and all problems are fixed will go a long way to protecting the structure of your home.
These are just a few reasons why you need a professional cleaning service before closing off your crawl space.