Crawl Space Cleaning

Crawl Space Cleaning

A common question we are asked is why do I need a crawl space cleaning? What is important about keeping your crawlspace clean? I think that this is a great question, especially because your crawl space is under your house. It is not in your house and it is more outside than inside. So why is it important to clean something that is basically outside of my house and has no effect on anything!? Well… this isn’t actually the case.  Crawl Spaces and their condition can and do affect not only the airflow of the house but also living conditions for those living inside the house. For example, we recently did a Crawl Space repair in Tacoma Washington. This was done on an older house and there were dead rats, feces, and other excreta. Now perhaps your thought on this was “Yeah but its not inside my house so why should I care?” Our response to this is that it is below your house! Have you ever heard the saying “Heat rises”? This applies to this situation as well. The air from your crawlspace is pushed up by the heat or cold of the ground and outside air into your house. In other words, all that stuff that I mentioned we found in (most) that crawl space is moving straight up into your house, where you and your family lives. In fact, your family could be getting sick from your crawlspace and you may not even know!

Did you know as much as 40% of your household air can flow from your crawl space!? When your crawl space is dry & clean there is usually no impact on your health. However, this is not the normal crawl space, unless you already have had your crawl space finished. In fact, we provide free inspections to anyone in our area of service (Bremerton, Port Orchard, Tacoma, Bainbridge, Olympia, Gig Harbor, and much more) However if you are not interested in receiving a free inspection, I have provided you with a list that you can check for yourself!

Here is a small list to check if your crawl space is potentially making you sick.

If you have any of the following give us a call at 1-877-698-0260

• Mold or moisture damage in the crawl space or living area
• Animal Droppings
• Live or Dead Animals
• Musty odors in the living area
• Condensation (“sweating”) on air conditioning ductwork or equipment
• Condensation on insulation, water pipes or truss plates in the crawl space
• Buckled hardwood floors
• High humidity in the living area
• Insect infestations
• Rot in wooden framing members

The main offenders in crawl space sickness come from the mold. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), 30 to 50 percent of all buildings have moist environments, these environments encourage the growth of things like mold and pathogens. It’s usually the result of increased humidity and moisture in the crawl space, typically from the ground in the basement, a leak, or inadequate ventilation. This is where Crawl Space Encapsulation comes in.

The experts at CleanSpace Northwest can take care of your crawl space issues and make sure that it is not making you sick. Call for a free estimate! – 1-877-698-0260