To ensure your home is well-maintained, it’s important to include the crawl space in your maintenance routine. One of the first steps is to locate the crawl space door and make sure it’s secure to prevent any issues.
In the following sections, we’ll explore the common problem signs of a loose crawl space door and how Tar Heel Basement Systems can provide solutions for these issues.
Causes Behind Crawl Space Damage
To prevent crawl space damage, it’s helpful to know what causes it and implement countermeasures, as identifying problem signs alone won’t prevent existing damage.
- Loose Crawl Space Door
The crawl space door is an important barrier that keeps outside elements, irritants, and pests from entering your home. However, if it becomes loose, it can allow moisture to seep through and damage the essential systems within. In addition, if your crawl space door is made of wood, exposure to the elements can cause it to rot and deteriorate over time, while metal hinges can rust and break apart.
- The Stack Effect
North Carolina’s summers bring high humidity, which can harm the crawl space. The air can hold more moisture when it’s hot, allowing humidity to condense and flood your crawl space. The hot, humid air will also spread up to other areas of your home, making it hotter and requiring more air conditioning. Similarly, cold air in the crawl space will displace the warm air in your house, forcing you to turn up the heat. To save on energy bills, address the issue at its source by securing your loose crawl space door.
Common Problem Signs of Crawl Space Damage
Neglected by many homeowners, the crawl space is often left unattended. Knowing the common signs of hidden crawl space damage can help mitigate further harm. Here are some key indicators to look out for.
- Leaking or Flooding
Crawl space damage can go unnoticed until it spreads to other parts of your home, especially if you have leaks or frequent flooding. Leaks should not be ignored, no matter how small, as they can worsen over time and contribute to flooding. The flood could be caused by water entering through the loose crawl space door, broken plumbing, or cracks in the crawl space.
A musty smell on the first floor could also indicate standing water or sewage in the crawl space. It’s important to have a crawl space expert drain the water and waterproof the space to prevent further damage.
- Cracks
Cracks in the crawl space may indicate significant damage below the surface that can spread to other areas of your home. Hairline cracks may appear harmless but can cause further damage over time. However, cracks measuring 1/4 inch wide or more indicate substantial damage and should not be ignored. Contact Tar Heel Basement Systems to repair these cracks and any underlying damage as soon as possible.
- Mold and Mildew
Excess moisture in your crawl space can attract harmful growths, such as mold and mildew.
Mold is usually black or green with a slimy or fuzzy texture, while mildew is white or ashen gray with a powdery texture. Both can cause health issues, especially for those with asthma or chronic lung diseases.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states that mold can cause symptoms such as burning eyes, stuffy nose, sore throat, and coughing or wheezing. They can spread through your HVAC system and affect other areas of your home.
Keep your home dry and clean to prevent these spores from taking root.
- Pest Infestations
Moisture problems in homes attract various pests, including insects, rodents, and snakes. Cockroaches may emit a musty smell, attracting even more pests. If pests are visible during the day, the infestation may be severe and difficult to handle.
- Higher Energy Bills
If you constantly adjust your thermostat to stay comfortable, there may be an issue in your crawl space. The HVAC system hub is often located there, and a loose crawl space door can let hot or cold air into your home, causing higher energy bills. Regular inspections can prevent these problems and save money in the long run.
How Will I Know if My Crawl Space Door is Loose?
To ensure a tightly shut crawl space door, homeowners should check for wear over time. Signs of wear may not be immediately noticeable, but checking periodically is crucial. How can homeowners check for wear in their crawl space doors?
- Measuring the Crawl Space Door
Your crawl space door should fit snugly around its opening to prevent problems caused by openings. Wooden or metal crawl space doors can warp or rot over time due to weather and moisture. If the door no longer fits, it may need replacing. Measuring the door and opening can help determine if a replacement is necessary, as some homeowners may not notice loose doors without visible signs of rot.
- Visible Signs of Rot
Signs of rot or wear are the most obvious indications that your crawl space door needs replacing, particularly in wooden doors susceptible to moisture damage. Metal doors can also experience wear and tear, leading to rusting and fitting issues that create openings for moisture, pests, and other irritants to enter.
Tar Heel Basement Systems offers durable plastic covers that provide complete protection for your crawl space.
Loose Crawl Space Door
FAQs
The crawl space might not seem like a very important space. However, that does not mean you should venture inside the crawl space if you do know where it is. This space holds far too many valuable systems within it. Repairs of these systems should be left to crawl space repair experts. Let’s take a closer look into just how important the crawl space is for your home below.
- Contains Your Home’s Most Crucial Systems
The crawl space is typically used to contain the most complex systems that support your home. This can include your insulation, your electrical wiring, your plumbing, your HVAC system, and much more. None of these systems should be wet at all, let alone submerged underwater. Should any moisture seep through to this space at all, you risk these systems breaking or ceasing to function properly.
Other issues that crop up within the crawl space may spread to other parts of your home as well. For instance, mold and mildew spores can find their way into your HVAC system or in your plumbing. Your family could very likely become sick from inhaling or ingesting these tiny spores.
- The Foundation
Another important component typically found within the crawl space is your home’s foundation. This structure keeps your house standing upright. Any damage to this crucial structure will start to affect the rest of your house’s infrastructure as well. You may first notice any damage as larger cracks or leaks that can crop up in other areas of your home.
Foundation damage can also cause your doors and windows to stick. The doorways and windowsills themselves could shift and cause these structures to become much harder to open or close. Additionally, the very walls and floors of your home may even sway or even collapse. You definitely do not want to fall victim to any accidents this might cause. Protecting the foundation protects your home as a whole. This is why proper crawl space inspections and repair are crucial.
No homeowner should ignore any crawl space damage they see for very long. It is always a good idea to make an appointment with a crawl space expert to repair any smaller issues before they get out of hand. Here are just some of the solutions that Tar Heel Basement Systems can provide your home.
- Sump Pumps and Vapor Barriers
Our powerful sump pumps can easily pump thousands of gallons of water out of your crawl space no matter what the weather. It will also activate on its own, so you do not have to worry about rushing to turn it on in the middle of a heavy storm. Its back-up batteries will also ensure that it will not stop working should your power go out. You can rest easy knowing that your crawl space will stay completely dry with this pump around.
Installing a thick vapor barrier around your crawl space can fully protect the space from any potential moisture damage. This durable barrier can protect your crawl space from any humidity or moisture, mold, and mildew spores. It is also covered in an antimicrobial additive that will discourage any dirt, dust, or mold spores from settling on the barrier itself.
- Vent Covers and Dehumidifiers
If your crawl space door is not adequately protecting your crawl space from moisture, you need a better waterproofing solution to seal off your crawl space. Tar Heel Basement Systems’ crawl space experts can easily fit vent covers over any open crawl space vents. These covers are made of a sturdy plastic that is guaranteed to never rot away or blow off in a storm.
Humidity can impose plenty of problems to both your crawl space and your home above. Therefore, you need a machine that can keep the air within the crawl space completely dry. Dehumidifiers can filter and circulate the air around your crawl space to ensure it will not retain too much moisture and ruin the systems that keep your house running.
Most homeowners will want to repair everything around their homes themselves. When it comes to the crawl space, however, you should always leave these repairs to the crawl space experts.
- Why DIY Repairs are Not Recommended
Most crawl space ceilings tend to range anywhere between one to three feet tall. Couple this with the fact that delicate systems can be scattered all around this space, and it is not at all recommended that just anyone attempt to enter this space. At the very worst, you might even find yourself trapped in this tiny space without help.
DIY repairs you might find at home improvement stores also will not provide much in the way of relief. At best, they work as temporary solutions to hold off the worst of the damage until our experts can take a look at it. These stores will not offer the powerful, industry-grade solutions that Tar Heel Basement Systems can. If you want complete waterproofing protection, rely on our crawl space experts to get the job done.
- Leave Repairs to the Crawl Space Experts
It is best to leave any crawl space repairs to the experts at Tar Heel Basement Systems. Our experts have experience working in even the most cramped crawl spaces, and we can implement any repairs or waterproofing solutions without disrupting any of the other systems embedded inside. We can also completely replace your ineffective, loose crawl space door with a more durable and airtight one that can permanently keep your crawl space nice and dry.
We have all the necessary tools and equipment to take care of any issues your crawl space might be dealing with. No need to scrounge around for DIY repair solutions that might not even work in the end. You can rest assured that your home will stay permanently dry with our solutions.
Contact the Crawl Space Experts at Tar Heel Basement Systems
Maintaining your home’s crawl space is an essential part of your home’s overall upkeep and health. This space contains far too many important systems and structures not to at least have it inspected once every year or so. This is where the crawl space experts at Tar Heel Basement Systems can help.
Contact our crawl space experts for a free crawl space inspection. We can also provide free quotes on all our powerful crawl space waterproofing solutions. Tar Heel Basement Systems serves homeowners all throughout the Raleigh and Winston-Salem areas.
