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Home Owner Maintenance Tip
We enjoy trying to make sure that your home stays your most valuable asset. One of the best ways we know to help, is to pass along some simple maintenance tips that most people don’t know could save thousands of dollars. Crawl Space Where a trench is dug for the foundation and the earth under the house floor is not removed, a crawl space is created. A crawl space may have either an earth floor or a concrete slab. Some are accessible others are not. Areas which do not have mechanical services require only a twelve inch clearance in many codes. This makes access for structural inspection and repair difficult. Since crawl spaces are hard to get into and usually poorly lit, they can go un inspected for long time periods. Where moisture levels are high, mold can grow to become a large problem. Mold, odor, water, and even termites can go unnoticed. It is important to to inspect your crawl space to keep it clean. Crawl spaces should have one square foot of venting for every 500 square feet of area. Mold is the most common issue found in crawl spaces. Mold can be found on sub-flooring and floor joists. It is extremely important to remove any mold from your crawl space to prevent additional build up. In severe cases, professional services are needed. Heated crawl spaces in freezing climates should be vented only in the summer. Vents should be blocked off in the winter. Unheated crawl spaces should be vented all year round. Crawl spaces with earth floor need venting more than those with concrete floors. Odors can come from damp crawl space air. Volatile organic compound or VOC, is a byproduct caused by mold. These are just some of the reasons that it is important to maintain your crawl space. We suggest you maintain it every six months. Lem McSpadden and Brian McSpadden "Your Property Consultants for Life"
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