Crawl Space Repair

Your crawl space and home could be experiencing these problems for a number of reasons. But the biggest culprit has to do with the way your home was built. For many years, building code has called for crawl spaces to have open vents. The idea was to allow airflow and air drying under the house. But it’s coming to light that this actually does more harm than good in crawl spaces. 

Open vents allow outside air, water, and unwanted pests into the crawl space and ultimately into your home to cause a host of additional problems. Nobody wants or needs that.  

More than half of the air you breathe in your home comes from the crawl space. So, whatever is in your crawl space – like mold spores and other allergens – also is in the rest of your home and affecting you and your family. This is because of the stack effect. 

The stack effect has to do with the airflow pattern in your home. Think of it like a chimney. Air enters at the bottom, rises throughout the structure, and exits at the top. Air also flows from areas of high pressure to areas of low pressure. When there is a greater difference between indoor and outdoor temperatures, the more significant this airflow becomes. (Source: Fine Homebuilding)  

You can’t see airflow, but it could be helpful for you to see the stack effect in action to get a better understanding of it. The Cold Climate Housing Research Center has several informational YouTube videos, including “Your Nothern Home: Stack Effect” that illustrates the stack effect. 

Here’s a look at other issues resulting from open vents and the stack effect:  

• Leaking, Standing Water — Water can enter your crawl space in various ways – through vents, walls, the ground, plumbing leaks, etc. No matter how it got there, any kind of water in your crawl space is bad news. It is extremely attractive to bugs and rodents seeking a food source and shelter. It also can saturate soft insulation and support systems and lead to mold, rot, and other issues. While it would be a nice luxury to have an indoor pool, you don’t want this kind.
   
• High Humidity — Water, along with humid air, is a recipe for disaster. Humidity above 50% contributes to mold, unpleasant odors, failing support systems and more. 
  
  High relative humidity and moisture are common in crawl spaces. These conditions promote mold growth, especially on organic materials like wood and insulation. Any crawl space moisture also can enter other areas of the home through wall, ceiling and floor cracks, and contribute to mold growth there. (Source: EPA)
   
• Sagging Floors — Do some areas of your floor feel soft and bouncy? When warm, humid air is vented into the crawl space during warmer months, this can cause wood to rot. This also can lead to sagging, soft, buckling floors above, as well as affect hardwood floors. 
   
• Energy Loss
  It can be a challenge to find a happy medium with the temperature inside your house, and you may have thermostat wars about it. The summertime heat usually has us cranking up the air conditioner, and this could overtax the unit as it is contending with hot and humid air rising from the vented crawl space. Likewise, as Colorado winters turn cold, your furnace could be working overtime to make your home comfortably warm. Floors often may feel cold because of the cooler air from the crawl space underneath. The more your furnace or air conditioner runs, the more money you are spending on utility bills. 

Even after reading about some crawl space culprits, you might be wondering what’s in it for you with repair projects. There are so many ways you, your family, and your home will benefit from conquering crawl space problems once and for all. 

Here are just a few major perks: 

• Improved Health and Quality of Life — Mold loves nothing more than damp, dark areas like crawl spaces. Because mold spores can spread throughout the house, these toxins can cause and worsen respiratory issues like asthma and allergies. But by having a properly waterproofed, insulated, and dehumidified crawl space, you are kicking mold spores and their nasty effects to the curb. Having a dehumidifier in the crawl space also will improve the overall air quality in your home, and your family will be much healthier and happier.

• Protected Safety and Structural Integrity — Wet, damp crawl spaces with water and high humidity can have rotting, corroding, and weakening support systems. This then leads to sagging and uneven floors. When you choose sturdy solutions to shore up the floors and floor joists, your home will be better supported and structurally sound, and much safer.
   
• More Functional Space — If you find you’re running out of space to store things like seasonal décor and family heirlooms, there’s an untapped area that you could be better utilizing. Get rid of gross conditions in the crawl space by having it waterproofed, encapsulated and insulated. That way, you can store anything you want in this space without having to worry about it getting wet or being damaged beyond repair.
   
• Better Energy Efficiency — Stop wasting energy, spending a lot on utility bills, and overtaxing your heating and cooling units. How can you tackle all of that? Easy: encapsulate and insulate your crawl space! When you have these essential projects properly completed, you could reduce your home energy costs by 20 percent.
   
• Enhanced Real Estate Value — Whether you intend to be a lifelong owner of your home or you’re thinking about selling soon, your house is going to be on the market at some point. Is it ready and has it retained its value? A lot can affect your home’s value and resale value, including the condition of the crawl space. Why not save yourself a lot of time and headaches and get it repaired now? You could sell as-is, but you’ll still have to fill out the Seller’s Property Disclosure form. With this form, you’ll have to disclose any known past or current problems like moisture and water, flooding, cracks, settling, termite presence and damage, and more. Plus, things like foundation issues can reduce your home’s resale value by 10 to 30 percent, and homebuyers could have problems getting a mortgage. Most homebuyers expect a home to be free of problems, and a safe and healthy house is much more attractive to potential owners as opposed to one with mold and uneven floors. 

Now that you’ve learned about what could be lurking under your house and why you must get rid of it, we hope you feel motivated to take back your home with needed repairs! 

Before strategizing, first think about who is going to be completing these repairs. True, you have a wealth of resources at your fingertips like materials at home improvement stores and how-to videos online. But that’s not necessarily going to cut it, no matter how handy you may be. Crawl space repair is serious work, and a lot can happen if you don’t have the right tools and experience for the job. It’s best to have your crawl space problems fixed the right way the first time with a trusted repair company. 

You’ve probably heard scary stories about others’ less than stellar experiences with contractors who made matters worse or didn’t even finish the job. There may be a few bad apples out there, but don’t let that or troubling tales turn you off to contractor assistance completely. There are reliable companies out there who do care about you and have your best interests at heart. 

It can be daunting to hire a contractor, but the best thing you can do is your homework. Research repair companies that can help you, and make sure you learn as much as you can about a company. Check out reviews and third-party resources like the Better Business Bureau and ask for references. Don’t forget to inquire about contractor essentials like licensing, insurance, certificates, warranties, written estimates and contracts, and other important documents. You’ll be bringing these people into your home, so you need to feel comfortable with them and confident in their abilities. 

The cost of repair is, undoubtedly, a huge concern for homeowners. And that’s normal. Your home, how it is fixed and maintained, and your money is a big deal. You don’t want to just throw a quick bandage on the problem and hope that will do the trick. Fast fixes with sub-standard materials will end up backfiring, and you’ll have to spend more time and money to have things repaired the right way. 

To give you a general idea, crawl space repair can range from $5,000 on the low end to $15,000 or more. This greatly depends on the size and condition of the crawl space. There is a lot to consider with crawl space repair. Different factors that can influence the price include square footage, material required to fix the problems and the quality of that material, extent of damage, labor, etc. All of these can greatly vary from company to company, so make sure you have a thorough discussion with your contractor about the pricing specifics and payment options. 

And be sure to check in with your insurance provider with any concerns about repairs potentially being covered by home insurance, as all policies are different. 

Also, no two crawl space problems are the same. There is no “one size fits all” fix that works for every crawl space. Every home is different and requires its own unique repairs. We know you’ll be able to find exactly what fits the bill with Foundation Repair of Western Colorado! 

During your research, we encourage you to get repair quotes from at least three companies. And we would be honored to have the opportunity to assist you! Let us prove to you that we’re not like other repair companies. Along with providing the best solutions to your crawl space problems, we want to give you a memorable experience like one you’ve never had with another company. From the initial inspection through the completion of the job, we will be with you every step of the way. 

It all starts when you contact us. We’ll work with you to schedule an appointment for you to meet with one of our certified inspectors for a free inspection and estimate. It’s important for the inspector to physically be in your home to see exactly what is going on in the crawl space. 

He will complete a thorough assessment of the crawl space and other issues, and then discuss his findings with you as well as your goals with a repair project. Then, the inspector will be able to put together an estimate that includes a plan for repair with solutions customized to meet your specific repair needs. He also will consider your budget and go over financing options. Take your time to review this estimate and don’t hesitate to follow-up with your inspector with any questions or concerns. 

Then, once you’ve signed a contract with your inspector and you are ready for work to begin, we’ll schedule that work with one of our expert crews. The crew will treat your home as their own, with complete care, as they install the best solutions to protect your home. The work is not done until you are completely satisfied, so don’t be afraid to speak up if something happens or is not living up to expectations. We put people first, so your happiness and safety matters to us. Also know that we offer service and maintenance opportunities to make sure the products we install continue to work as they’re supposed to in protecting your home. 

Because you are our No. 1 priority and we care about your safety, we only use quality products that are tested and proven to keep your crawl space dry, safe and healthy. The solutions we use are manufactured right here in the United States, and they carry longtime warranties. All these solutions also are designed to work together to give you the most bang for your buck and prevent any further problems.  

Here are different ways we address crawl space issues and their repairs: 

• Waterproofing — Dry up your leaking crawl space with our three-part waterproofing system. To rid your home of seeping water, we first need to catch the water, get this water to a sump pump system, and then send this water away from the home.
  
  Our specially designed CrawlDrain™ perimeter drainage system is placed in the dirt crawl space floor to intercept seeping water from the walls and floor. The drainage channels then direct this water into a sump pump. We have a variety of SafeDri ™ systems to meet your waterproofing needs, including the SafeDri ™ Crawl Space Sump Pump System designed to fit with our other crawl space solutions. One of these SafeDri ™ systems then pumps the water out of the crawl space and away from the home. Additionally, a FreezeGuard™ can be attached to the exterior sump pump discharge line to prevent flooding if the line freezes or becomes blocked.
   
• Encapsulation — Along with keeping water out of your crawl space, you need to seal it from outside air, water and pests. Step one is concealing the vents with our durable, airtight vent covers. 
  
  Then, you need to encapsulate the area by having a heavy-duty moisture and vapor barrier installed. Our CrawlSeal™ is a true 20-mil liner rated above 25-mil strength at the seams. This liner, which is three times thicker than builder’s grade liner, is used to completely isolate the crawl space from the earth. CrawlSeal™ prevents moisture and vapor intrusion, is waterproof, and has been treated to resist mold and mildew. 
  
  Additionally, thick drainage matting can be placed on the crawl space floor before the encapsulation process to help direct water to the perimeter CrawlDrain™ system, as well as enhance the strength of the CrawlSeal™ liner.
   
• Insulation — Soft fiberglass insulation can easily become saturated, hold onto water, and become a breeding ground for insects and other pests. Instead of enabling these nasty conditions, we combat them with our rigid ExTremeBloc™ insulation panels that are placed on the crawl space walls to better insulate the area. These panels are mold and moisture resistant, and an integrated termiticide is added to deter termites below grade. CrawlSeal™ also helps insulate the crawl space, and spray foam can be added to rim joists to seal gaps around the perimeter of your foundation. These insulation methods help prevent wood rot and enable termite treatments.
   
• Dehumidification — When sealing off the crawl space, it is important to condition the air inside. Our powerful, energy-efficient dehumidifier is the way to go. This low-profile unit cleans and filters the air, controls moisture and humidity, and reduces odors and the potential for mold growth. This is a self-draining unit that can be directed to drain into the perimeter drainage system or sump pump, so there are no buckets or reservoirs that you must empty.

• Structural Support — Wooden and metal floor joists and floor supports can easily rot, decay, corrode, weaken and fail in wet and humid crawl spaces. But our galvanized steel IntelliJacks™ are more reliable supports that can stabilize and help lift sagging floors and floor joists back to level.
   
• Access Points — Exterior crawl space access wells and doors typically are concrete, wood, or metal and can easily rust and rot. But our durable plastic crawl space access wells and doors are safe, sturdy, and airtight.