Most houses in America have a crawl space of some kind. As they usually aren’t readily visible, it’s easy for us to ignore our crawl spaces. In fact, many people only pay attention to their crawl spaces when there is a serious issue at hand. However, problems with your crawl space can easily get out of control, and lead to structural dangers, as well as health hazards. The last thing you would want is for a wet crawl space to lead your family getting sick, or even being injured. Luckily, there are options available for those who want to make their crawl spaces as safe as possible. These include crawl space waterproofing, using a crawl space dehumidifier, or installing a crawl space drain system. There are also crawl space moisture removal procedures, and having a crawl space vapor barrier in place can further help treat the issue. But the fact is that even if you have your crawl space “dried out”, the issue can recur, which is perhaps why crawl space waterproofing is what we’re going to focus on. By having your crawl space waterproofed, you can either ensure that your crawl space never becomes damp, or ensure that it never happens again if it already has. Below, we’ll look into some of the risks associated with a wet crawl space.
1. Electrocution
It’s important to be careful when inspecting your crawl space for water damage — in fact, you may want to leave that entirely to the professionals. This is because your crawl space could have standing water without you even knowing it, until it’s too late. Standing water is a major risk factor in crawl spaces. Your crawl space can have electrical devices or wiring present — and not all homeowners are sure about this without looking first. If these devices or wiring come into contact with standing water, it can cause an electrical interaction. If you set foot in the water when this occurs, you could be electrocuted. Sometimes, the electrocution is minor. However, it can easily result in severe injury or even death. This is why it’s crucial to have crawl space waterproofing done ahead of time, ideally before water seeps into your crawl space. Children can easily wander into crawl spaces with standing water without knowing the risks, and it’s generally advised that homeowners should be overly cautious regarding standing water and their crawl spaces. For that matter, it can be difficult to safely get rid of standing water in a crawl space if it’s already present.
2. Chemical Contamination
Many homes with crawl spaces are on the older side, with some newer homes not having crawl spaces at all. Therefore, crawl spaces in older homes may be at a higher risk for pest infestations, as older homes are in general. Now, we know that many pesticides that were used in the past contain harmful chemicals that can make humans severely ill. However, many crawl spaces were once treated with such pesticides, and the lingering chemicals can easily mix with any water present in the crawl space. This means that it’s easier for those wandering about in crawl spaces to be contaminated by these chemicals — and in fact, if you’re aware of the presence of such pesticides, it’s important to le the workers in your home know before any crawl space waterproofing begins, so that they can properly protect themselves.
3. Sewage Contamination
If a crawl space isn’t waterproofed, it goes to assume that any kind of liquid can affect the space. Therefore, it’s all too easy for crawl spaces to become contaminated by sewage backups and spills. You should see a crawl space that hasn’t been waterproofed as a weak spot in your home — it can let a variety of different contaminants and problems in. Not only is a crawl space contaminated by sewage backup disgusting — it also can contain seriously harmful pathogens. Therefore, it’s important to be proactive regarding waterproofing your crawl space.