Posted on May 31, 2022 by Angel Clean

You ask anyone living in the four-state area around Southwest Missouri about the weather, and most local people will tell you it gets pretty humid. But, if you’ve ever owned a home in a humid climate, you know the dangers lurking in your crawlspace.

The biggest reason a crawlspace hosts some rather undesirable hazards is inactivity. It also helps that its cool, dark, damp environment invites five dangers beneath your home.

Five Sneaky Crawlspace Threats

While it might seem easy to avoid the crawlspace in your home for many reasons, there are at least five reasons you should be keeping an eye on the activity below your feet. First, you can hire a mold restoration company to help inspect your crawlspace for these notorious menaces, if nothing else.

1. Mold Signs

Whether built last year, three years ago or five years ago, you should have your home’s crawlspace inspected for mold signs. Many crawlspaces have crossbeams that support the floorboards above, and mold spores gravitate to moisture.

Once mold spores take up residence, it’s only a matter of time before you and your family begin coughing and sneezing. As an allergen, molds can cause upper respiratory symptoms, like, wheezing and asthma attacks, and in rare cases, cause pneumonitis for hypersensitive individuals.

2. Vermin Infestation

Some rather pesky critters can’t resist the temptation of a dirt crawlspace, like termites or carpenter ants. If you find a creature like this truck across a wall or floor in your home, it might be best to reach out to a restoration company; they will have the proper dehumidifying equipment to restore your crawlspace.

Restoration pros often run across a host of problems in crawlspaces unrelated to their specialization. Therefore, it means being well connected within their industry to recommend a pest control company that can handle anything lurking beneath your feet. Whether it’s a got four legs or no legs, you don’t want to put yourself or your family’s lives at risk.

3. Viral Waste

Because four-legged critters love to occupy crawlspaces, rodents, particularly mice, can carry a nasty virus called hantavirus. The virus is transmitted to humans when breathed in after rodent beds are disturbed, urine saturated dirt is kicked up, or dried feces are stirred up into the air you breathe.

Unfortunately, you may not know you were exposed to hantavirus before becoming ill. That means having your crawlspace routinely inspected will be your best defense. After all, eradicating the hantavirus from a home requires the expertise of an air quality restoration company. 

4. Stagnant Water

When it comes to homeowning, most people recognize that water is unsuitable for any home’s foundation. But in a crawlspace that sees little to no routine activity that can mean groundwater intrusion could go unchecked.

If your home has a crawlspace, it’s likely unfinished dirt space. Water seeping in beneath your feet can also come from many causes; groundwater rises or a busted sewage line can lead to microbial growth, foul odors, and mildew growth.

5. Structural Fails

Finally, any crawlspace not regularly inspected can lead to unwarranted structural fails. While most crawlspace heights vary from state to state and county to county based on building code requirements, it’s crucial to have the space checked annually.

Who Inspects Crawlspaces

After covering all these varying crawlspace threats, it may seem confusing who to call first. But many of these threats take time and are happy in stages. Living in a humid climate around Neosho, Missouri, mold will likely be the first of any uninvited dangers in a crawlspace.

So, you need to think about scheduling routine inspections in your crawlspace for mold. An excellent first step is to contact a restoration company specializing in mold remediation and water restoration, like the team at Angel Clean. They can inspect your crawlspace for any unwanted guests lurking in your crawlspace.

They will quote you what it will cost to restore the space and recommend other professionals who can assist with pest control and construction repairs. In addition, Angel Clean can give you the best mitigating ways to better manage mold and moisture and schedule annual inspection visits for your crawlspace.

Contact the team at Angel Clean today to schedule an onsite inspection of your crawlspace.