The crawl space in your house is one of those areas that rarely get any attention unless something is wrong. However, taking care of issues in the crawl space is one of the most important things that you can do to support the longevity of your home and its overall structure, and it is really important to give this area some attention on occasion. There are certain events and situations that can definitely generate problems within the crawl space that should get immediate attention. Here's a look at some of the situations that could cause damage to a crawl space and signal you to get in touch with a professional for help.
There has been a bout of excessive rainfall.
A lot of rainfall is easily one of the biggest culprits behind problems in a crawl space. Large amounts of rain can lead to flooding beneath the house that shifts structural components and can lead to issues with mold and mildew. There are things that can be done to prevent water from making its way into a crawl space, but any existing problems that have already developed will have to first be repaired.
There has been an earthquake in your area.
Earthquakes are well-known to generate problems for homeowners, and some of the immediate problems will first show up in the crawl space. By grabbing a flashlight and heading into the crawl space, you can get a look to see if anything about the foundation or the structure of the house has shifted. Problems here may not actually show up in the house immediately, so looking at the base of the structure will give you a better idea of whether or not something is wrong.
There has been a long stretch of extreme cold, ice, and snow.
It may not seem like a long stretch of cold winter could do much to the crawl space, but this is actually something that can generate problems in the area for a very specific reason. When the weather is extremely cold, wildlife will seek out refuge in the most convenient places that they can, which can mean that you end up with a lot of animals of some sort living under your house. Anytime there has been a long bout of cold or snowy weather, it is best to head under the house and take a look to see if there are any dwellers in there to worry about.
Speak with a crawl space repair professional for more information.
When you build a home or make a large addition to the home, you will hire a general contractor to oversee the project and do the majority of the work. This individual may subcontract some small tasks to specialists, such as window installers and HVAC techs, but for the most part, it is their responsibility to ensure everything is built according to plan.
As you can imagine, general contractors have very varied jobs. No two days are alike! On this website, you will learn more about what general contractors do, which will come in handy the next time you need to hire one.