Most of us look after our health these days; we try to exercise, eat well and make sure we get plenty of fresh air and sunlight, but when it comes to ensuring the health of our homes we are often woefully neglectful.
Like people, if a building is not cared for and given regular ‘health checks’, the cracks will start to show; water-intrusion is one of the biggest causes of damage to our homes and workspaces.
Water damage can be silent but deadly when it comes to triggering structural decay problems, and often basements and crawl spaces are the biggest culprits.
Many may be surprised to discover that crawl spaces are often the unhealthiest environments in our homes and, when you consider that 50% of the air we breathe comes from this often overlooked area of our homes, its cause for concern.
The unwanted presence of water and moisture produces an environment perfect for bacteria, fungi and other allergens to breed, as well as undermining the structural integrity of the concrete.
Crawl space waterproofing is a relatively simple and effective way to prevent or resolve issues caused by water damage, and yet many people choose to ignore such problems for years, thus increasing the damage to their homes and the inevitable cost of repair.
It’s important to nip problems in the bud early on and the first step is to look for established and trustworthy waterproofing companies; B-Dry, for example, has over 50 years of providing waterproofing solutions and promise to resolve damage from water entering the following ways:
- Through floor cracks or soil floor
- Through wall cracks and mortar joints
- From bleeding and sweating of walls
- Over the footer
- Under the footer
Waterproofing needn’t cost the earth and in the long term can save thousands in resulting damage repair, so it’s worth taking preventative measures when it comes to ensuring the integrity of your crawl space.
Companies such as B-Dry also offer free home inspections so you can talk to one of their qualified consultants about your crawl-space needs before committing to any treatment; this way you can make an informed decision and discuss which solution will work best for you.
Foundation problems too can be resolved by B-Dry; a foundation problem is one thing that should not be ignored when it comes to your home’s ‘health’ and it’s not something that will resolve itself over time.
Foundation settlement problems are often caused by water and poor soil conditions; keeping gutters cleaned out to prevent overflow can help, and directing water down spouts to prevent excess water from pooling at the foundation wall is a quick and effective way to prevent damage. Weak soil is another factor and, if this is the cause of the problem, a proper foundation repair solution will have to be found as soon as possible.
Investing in foundation repair quickly is vital so homeowners should be aware of the tell-tale signs that their property is in need of work. These signs can include windows not closing properly, cracks in the basement floor, cracks in interior block walls, doors not opening and shutting properly, sloping floors, bowing basement walls and sloping floors.
If any of these signs are present your home could be in need of immediate foundation repair; talking to an expert is the best way to diagnose your homes issues and to find the best way to prevent any further damage and resolve existing structural issues.
We spend thousands over the years on our homes: furniture, wall decorations, carpets and light-fittings are all the trimmings that make our houses homes.
However, it’s also important to ensure the areas that are out of sight, such as our foundations and crawl-spaces, are kept dry and damage free, or cosmetic flourishes are just icing on an already damaged cake.
2 Comments
It’s funny because every time even a drop of water spills somewhere, I assume that my house will be filled with mold. It just seems so common these days but I’m thinking that’s maybe with all the reality TV flipping shows and what not which always seem to feature some mold growth as part of their problems. It makes you wonder how many houses have mold that if everybody that had mold got rid of it, would actually create a boon. I can’t imagine we’ve gone all these decades where houses didn’t have mold but suddenly it’s a ‘new’ problem.
@Money Beagle – Very true. Mold seems to be a “hot” topic especially when it comes to allergies. I’m sure houses have had mold for years, it just wasn’t something people worried much about or maybe even knew about. But yes, it seems to be a budding industry!