Signs You Need Crawl Space Repair
Cracks in Sheetrock
Foundation Settling & Wall Cracks: Notice cracks forming in your sheetrock walls? This can be a key indicator of foundation settlement or movement, often exacerbated by moisture issues originating in a damp crawl space. Addressing crawl space problems early can help stabilize your foundation and prevent further structural damage.
Sloping Floors
Uneven or Sloping Floors: Do your floors feel like they're tilting or sagging? This is a common symptom of compromised support structures beneath your home, frequently linked to moisture damage, rot, and pest infestations that thrive in unhealthy crawl spaces. Crawl space repair can restore stability to your foundation and level your floors.
Sticking Doors
Doors That Stick or Don't Close Properly: Difficulty opening or closing interior doors can signal foundation shifts or wood warping due to excessive moisture levels emanating from your crawl space. Stabilizing your foundation and controlling crawl space humidity are crucial for proper door function.
Sticking Windows
Windows That Stick or Are Hard to Open: Similar to doors, windows that jam or become difficult to operate can be a sign of foundation movement or structural changes caused by moisture and instability originating in your crawl space. Crawl space encapsulation and repair can help ensure your home's structural integrity and window functionality.
Crawl Space Mold
Visible Mold or Mildew in Crawl Space: Discovering mold or mildew growth in your crawl space is a significant warning sign of excessive moisture and poor ventilation. Mold thrives in damp, dark environments and can lead to structural wood damage, musty odors permeating your home, and compromised indoor air quality, potentially impacting your family's health. Professional crawl space remediation and moisture control are crucial to eliminate mold and prevent its return.
Standing Water
Standing Water or Excessive Dampness in Crawl Space: The presence of standing water or consistently damp conditions in your crawl space indicates a serious moisture intrusion problem. This can be caused by poor drainage, groundwater seepage, or plumbing leaks. Standing water can lead to structural damage from rot, attract pests, create a breeding ground for mold and bacteria, and contribute to foundation instability. Addressing the source of the water and implementing proper crawl space waterproofing solutions are essential to protect your home's integrity and health.
Why Fix My Crawl Space?
Your crawl space is a hidden part of the home that can add value with additional storage and living space. However, if it’s not properly sealed (Encapsulated), moisture accumulates inside and creates a thriving environment for mold, bacteria, wood decaying Fungus, and insect infestations. Apex offers solutions that protect your crawl space from water and moisture damage by removing excess humidity in the air, and can also address cracks in sheetrock, sloping or bouncy floors, and even doors that no longer open and shut correctly. At Apex, our goal is to not only provide a solution that keeps your floor framing (what holds your home together) from holding moisture, but to create an environment where moisture and humidity stay too low for mold and wood decaying fungus to grow. If you are experiencing problems, or just want to insure your home is healthy, call Apex today for a free, no-obligation assessment.
Foundation Repair Financing to
Fit Your Project and Budget
At Apex Foundation Specialists, we understand that foundation repair and waterproofing projects can be a significant investment. That's why we offer flexible financing options tailored to your unique project and budget, ensuring that you can address your foundation needs without financial stress.
Frequently Asked Questions
Standing water and High humidity in your crawl space or basement areas are the leading cause for mold and bacteria growth, sagging floor framing that leads to structural issues, and even allergies and/or health issues for our homeowners. Our moisture and waterproofing solutions help you say goodbye to these harmful problems.
Permanently. It's absolutely important you have these issues evaluated by an expert as soon as possible.
As warm air rises in a home, it escapes out of the upper levels. New air then must enter to replace the air that escaped. In fact, in a well built, tight home, about half of the air escapes each hour out of the upper levels. This creates a suction at the lower levels that draws in replacement air. In older homes that aren’t sealed as well, the air exchange rate can be as high as two air exchanges per hour.
This is what engineers and building scientists refer to as the “Stack Effect” and it creates airflow in your home from the bottom to the top. What does this mean for your home? Simply put, air flow from your crawl space is drawn upwards into the first floor of your home, and then to the second floor. While it does dilute with other air in your home, building scientists still agree that up to 49.6% of the air you breathe on the first floor is air that came from your crawl space.
Therefore, whatever is in your crawl space air is in the living area of your house and could be negatively affecting your home and family. If there is high humidity in your crawl space, there is higher humidity upstairs than there would be otherwise. Even more serious, If there are mold spores in the crawl space, there are mold spores in the living area of the home.
Your foundation typically is covered by homeowners insurance like any other part of your home. However, there are many types of foundation damage that are explicitly excluded from standard insurance policies. For your foundation repairs to be covered by your insurance company, they must be caused by an event your nsurer accepts, such as certain water damage or hurricane like storms. One of our foundation specialists can help you determine what caused your foundation’s damage so you can make a potential claim with your insurance company.
Foundation Problems? We Have Solutions
Left untreated, a damaged foundation can lead to much bigger problems that will inevitably cost you. Instead of waiting to see what happens, call Apex Foundation Specialists today.
