Are you having a hard time contemplating whether or not you should clean your crawl space? You may feel it is burdensome and time-consuming to handle this problem, but you will not also want to endure the unpleasant odour, pests, and water damage in your home.
Dirty crawl spaces can be the starting point for several health issues and structural deterioration. It also makes you lose access to your electrical wirings, insulation, drywall, plumbing, and heating or cooling systems. To get started, read ahead to know the dos and don’ts of cleaning your crawl space and why it is essential!
Why Should Your Crawl Space Be Cleaned?
A crawl space is usually for conveniently accessing different systems and wirings beneath your house. However, you will never benefit from its function if you leave it with debris and waste because nobody would want to crawl into something full of dirt.
Finding several enemies is also not new for crawl spaces since they are in-between the ground and the first floor. They are susceptible to moisture-related issues, mould and mildew, pest infestations, and leaking sewage pipes. If you leave these things unrepaired and untreated, your family’s health can be at stake because organisms, like rodents, can infect the air and water you use.
An uncleaned crawl space will also not work for people who dislike unpleasant odours. Since they can be moist, they can produce a foul smell that can spread into your living area. Insulation and structural damages may also be present, so cleaning your crawl space is the best way to address these problems.
What To Do When Cleaning A Crawl Space?
While cleaning a crawl space is crucial, some homeowners may have wrong beliefs about handling this matter, leading to incorrect processes and dirt retention. Fortunately, here is the list of the things you must do and avoid when cleaning your crawl space.
Do’s
Below are the steps you must do in your crawl space.
1. Assess Your Crawl Space’s Size
Measuring the size of your crawl space is the first thing to do before deciding on the tools and work duration you will consume in the cleaning project. It will also let you know whether the severity of the dirt will require professionals, such as crawl space cleaners in Norfolk. After jotting down the necessary measurements, you can proceed to plan the process.
2. Fix Issues And Damages
Leaving issues and damages behind will lead to worse cases, so you may want to address them as soon as possible. You can check cracks, water leakage, and damaged floors. Talking to a professional about the most severe issues will also help if you have a low budget and cannot handle everything at once at the time of the project.
3. Handle Pests And Insects
Be extra careful when dealing with dark crawl spaces because you can encounter rodents, insects, and pests along the way. However, you cannot run away from it, for you have to remove them to prevent health risks. For instance, rodent infestations can bring pathogens into your body if you breathe their rodent droppings and urine.
4. Eliminate Unpleasant Odor Through Dehumidifying
If you have been enduring unpleasant odours from places you cannot locate before, then cleaning your crawl space can be the solution to your problem. Consider drying out damp areas due to condensation or moisture. You can also install crawl space dehumidifiers to eliminate odour-causing factors and increase air quality and smell.
Don’ts
Meanwhile, here are the wrong beliefs you may have and how to correct them.
1. Ignore Debris And Wastes
Cleaning your crawl space without removing waste and debris will not improve the situation. If you leave trash and junks the way they are, you will still have no access to the wirings and systems beneath. In this case, you will need to take care of harmful things, such as shattered glass, splintered wood, and scattered materials, to ensure the safety of those entering your crawl space.
2. Use Water In Cleaning The Crawl Space
One of the common wrong beliefs homeowners have is about using water when cleaning their crawl spaces. Most are unaware that water can increase the moisture beneath their home and aggravate minor moisture-related issues.
Alternatively, you can opt for spray treatments to kill mould and protect the wood from possible fungal growth. Your allergies and breathing issues will also benefit from this treatment because it will eliminate the fungus that can induce contaminated air with pollen and dust.
3. Forget About The Leakage And Moisture
Forget about the leakage and suffer from worse situations because water damages make your crawl space susceptible to flood and severe moisture-related issues. Accordingly, you will have to inspect and repair these problems as soon as possible to prevent such things from happening.
4. Omit Waterproofing
To prevent water leakage from occurring again, you can install a vapour barrier or encapsulation, a taped-down plastic to separate your crawl space from your house. Checking and repairing your downspouts and gutters will also ensure that the water will not gather over time. Lastly, install a sump pump system with a french drain to prevent water from getting trapped in the crawl space.
Adopt The Best Ways Of Cleaning Your Crawl Space
Cleaning crawl spaces can be a long, challenging journey that may require money and effort. However, you will always have the fruits of your hard work; that’s why handling this problem successfully will give you a safer and healthier home. You will only need to follow the correct cleaning basics to have the best outcome you can ever have.
