The chilly air of winter may make the inside of your home cozy, but it also means that unless your crawlspace has been properly cared for, your crawlspace may be in danger. Consequently, your house and family could be negatively impacted as well. Columbia CrawlSpace shares a few ways the crawlspace is affected by cold weather, what that means for you, and how you can remedy issues underneath your home.
1) Chilly Floors, Chilly House
You put your feet down on the bare floor from the comforting warmth of your cozy bed and get a shock to your body. That floor is COLD! Chilly floors, walls and home could be the result of your crawlspace permitting cold, outside air drafting in through vents, cracks and gaps.
2) Excess Moisture
Overnight frosts, ice storms and snowfalls all melt eventually. That melting precipitation has to go somewhere. The water seeps into the soil. The excessive water can push into the foundation and cause cracks. Or the melted snow permeates the exposed dirt floor of the crawlspace and promotes the growth of unhealthy mold or fungus.
3) Condensation
Ever notice condensation in the wintertime along your windows and glass doors? Cracks and gaps that aren’t adequately sealed, paired with contrasting inside and outside temperatures, cause moisture to condense and droplets to form. While you may not see it, that same thing is happening in your unsealed crawlspace. The droplets there can lead to big problems, including wood rot, mold, insulation failure; moisture can also attract unwanted pests.
4) Indoor Air Quality Diminishes
The quality of the air inside your home is directly tied to the air in the crawlspace of your home. Poor air quality under the home, including mold spores, dust mites, and unpleasant odors, seep into the air you and your family breathe inside. As if the cold, dank air wasn’t bad enough, if someone has compromised immunity or chronic breathing conditions, poor internal air quality could be even more hazardous.
5) Utility Bill Increases
Leaky, drafty air means your utilities have to work that much harder to maintain a comfortable environment. In a season when utility rates often increase, allowing your hard-earned dollars to be siphoned out the cracks in your crawlspace costs more money unnecessarily.
What Can You Do to Combat the Cold’s Effect on Your Crawlspace?
While you can’t control the cold, there are some things you can do to minimize cold weather affecting your crawlspace and your home. Encapsulating the crawlspace is a great way to mitigate these issues and lower your utility bills. (Sealing the space under your house can save you up to 15% on HVAC bills.) Columbia CrawlSpace is ready and able to protect your home and your family from cold weather impacts. Contact Columbia CrawlSpace at 931-982-5310 or email us at info@crawlspacetenn.com for a free inspection and estimate.
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