At Cornerstone Foundation Repair & Waterproofing, our team of experts can help you address many of the common issues and complaints you may be facing with your crawl space. Founded by a licensed general contractor and a licensed real estate agent, our company can inspect and repair crawl spaces in residential and commercial properties, ensuring any issues your crawl space may face are fixed at an affordable and competitive price point. Let’s take a closer look at crawl spaces and crawl space repair in Raleigh, NC to give you an idea of what to look out for in your crawl space and how Cornerstone Foundation Repair & Waterproofing can save you money with our quality crawl space repair and inspection services.
Understanding Crawl Spaces
A crawl space is a narrow area underneath your Raleigh home, typically only about one to three feet high, that provides:
- Access to utilities
- Moisture control and ventilation for your home or commercial property
- Foundation support
- Elevation above ground level to protect against flooding
Most buildings with crawl spaces will have either a vented or a sealed crawl space. Vented crawl spaces manage moisture levels by using vents that allow air to flow in and out of the crawl space. Sealed or encapsulated crawl spaces often use a combination of moisture barriers, insulation, or dehumidifiers to keep moisture and pests from entering and damaging your home. Besides just controlling moisture levels underneath your home, crawl spaces commonly serve as the access point for your building utilities, including:
- Plumbing
- Electricity
- Gas
- Internet and phone lines
- Radon control systems
Crawl spaces also serve a structural role in a building, allowing the building’s weight to be evenly distributed across the ground. This lifts the building to protect against floods, making it harder for pests like termites to enter and damage your home. Keeping your crawl space in good working order provides your home or building with an excellent defense against moisture, pests, and flooding while providing you with access points to essential utilities.
Importance of Crawl Space Health
Keeping your crawl space in excellent structural integrity protects against several factors, like moisture and damaging pests like termites, silverfish, and carpenter ants. Structurally sound crawl spaces also provide your home with a strong foundational base, improve indoor air quality, and even save you money on heating and energy costs. A crawl space preserves the structural integrity of your home or building by evenly distributing the weight of your home across the ground. When a building’s weight is not evenly distributed, it can lead to severe structural problems like:
- Cracking of a foundation
- Tilting or sinking of a foundation
- Uneven settling (misaligned windows, door frames, and sloping floors)
- Sagging roofs
- Damage to supporting structures
Indoor air quality is also directly linked to the overall health of your crawl space. As crawl spaces provide important moisture control for your home, a damaged crawl space can increase moisture levels, leading to mold and mildew in your indoor air. Crawl spaces that are well built and adequately cared for also save you money on heating costs by preventing excessive heat loss through floors and acting as a thermal buffer of air underneath your floors. Let’s take a closer look at some of the common problems you may face with your crawl space if it needs repair.
Common Crawl Space Problems
The most common issues that we see our customers facing in their crawl spaces include:
- Moisture, water, and Mold
- Structural concerns
- Pest problems
Let’s explore each of these common crawl space issues and how Cornerstone Foundation Repair & Waterproofing can fix them.
Moisture and Water Intrusion in Crawl Spaces
Crawl spaces that are working adequately protect your home from the damaging effects of uncontrolled moisture and water intrusion. However, crawl spaces that lack a vapor barrier, have damaged or unsealed vents, or are built on areas of land with a high water table may start to develop issues with moisture and humidity. Crawl spaces built on poorly sealed foundations have leaky plumbing lines running through them, or become damaged after heavy flooding, and may have issues with standing water inside the space. High levels of moisture, humidity, or standing water in a crawl space can damage a home in several ways, including:
- Causing wood rot
- Mold and mildew growth
- Increasing pest infestations
- Air quality issues
- Damage to utilities inside the crawl space
Keep an eye out for signs of moisture and water issues in a crawl space, such as mold, visible water, or wood rot, and contact a professional crawl space repair provider in Raleigh, NC to prevent damage to your home or building.
Structural Issues With Crawl Spaces
Crawl spaces provide essential stability and support to your home or building, but structural issues can damage your home. Crawl spaces with structural problems may cause your home to have other damages, including:
- Cracks in foundations and walls
- Sagging roofs
- Doors and windows that are misaligned
- Sloping floors
If you notice these signs in your home, your crawl space likely has an underlying structural issue that needs to be fixed to prevent further damage to the building.
Pest Infestations in Crawl Spaces
Crawl spaces dealing with a pest infestation from damaging insects like termites, silverfish, or carpenter ants may damage anything within your home constructed of wood, which could include joists, beams, studs, and much more. Many common pests that make their way into your crawl space damage wood by burrowing into it or using it as a food source for the colony. This can quickly lead to expensive repairs and damage to your home if not corrected quickly. Signs of pest infestations in a crawl space include:
- Holes in the wooden parts of your home
- Wood that sounds hollow when tapped on
- Visible insect activity
- Sawdust-like debris in your crawl space
Pest control devices, treatments, and sealing your crawl space effectively prevent pest infestations in your crawl space and the damage they cause.
Maintaining a Healthy Crawl Space
The best way to prevent crawl space issues from developing is to maintain a healthy crawl space. The best way is to schedule regular crawl space inspections from a reputable inspection and crawl space repair provider that services the Raleigh, NC area. This allows minor crawl space issues to be caught and addressed before they become more expensive and complicated. We recommend you get your crawl space inspected twice a year, once in the spring and once in the fall.
Choosing a Crawl Space Repair Professional in Raleigh, NC
When looking for a crawl space repair and inspection provider, you should look for established businesses with a good reputation that employ those with the necessary licenses and skills to inspect and repair crawl spaces. Don’t be afraid to ask for permits or proof of insurance when searching for the best crawl space repair company in Raleigh, NC, as any reputable provider will be happy to provide you with these materials. While most businesses that work in crawl space repair are honest and reputable, there are some red flags you should look out for. These include:
- Not having the proper licenses.
- Not having insurance
- Pricing repairs above the market rate
If you are given a high repair bill from one crawl space repair provider, it doesn’t hurt to get a second opinion and estimate from another crawl space repair provider before signing off on repairs.
Cost Considerations for Crawl Space Repair in Raleigh, NC
Several different factors go into what crawl space repairs will cost you. These include:
- The size of your crawl space
- Type of repair
- The condition of your crawl space
At Cornerstone Foundation Repair & Waterproofing, we proudly offer our customers estimates of what a job will cost before work begins. We also offer financing options for more expensive crawl space repairs to help our Raleigh customers affordably repair their crawl spaces. In the long term, crawl space repair in Raleigh, NC often pays for itself by preventing future more costly maintenance, improving the market value of your home, and saving you money on energy and heating costs.
DIY vs Professional Crawl Space Repair in Raleigh, NC
When it comes to crawl space repair, homeowners can fix minor issues on their own and other, more serious problems that are best left to professionals. Homeowners may be able to fix minor plumbing leaks under crawl spaces, install vent guards, and improve water drainage away from their crawl spaces. More serious crawl space issues like cracked foundations, damage from infestations, or serious water and moisture issues are best left to the professionals, as these repairs require specialized training and expensive tools.
Future Trends in Crawl Space Repair Technology
Several modern advancements have made monitoring moisture levels and overall crawl space health much easier today. Innovative dehumidifiers and automated ventilation systems can work to maintain safe moisture levels in your crawl space. Many eco-friendly crawl space insulation and vapor barriers combine with the energy-saving benefits of a well-built crawl space to save you money and work towards a sustainable future.
Protect Your Crawl Space Today With Help From Cornerstone Foundation Repair & Waterproofing
Prevention is key when it comes to crawl space repair in the Raleigh, NC, area. With an inspection from Cornerstone Foundation Repair & Waterproofing, you can rest easily knowing that your home is protected from many common crawl space issues. If you notice any moisture, foundation, or pest problems, contact our team directly at (844) 926-7637 to schedule an inspection and get your crawl space back in working order as soon as possible.
(844) 926-7637
Info@cfr-NC.com
www.cfr-nc.com