Moisture and water in the crawl space of your home is a source of mold and fungus. Rising damp, moisture spots and a musty air in the house are the result. When water is constantly left in the crawl space under your house, it affects the structural condition of the house and the health of you and your family. We then advise you to have an architectural inspection carried out in Haarlem. During these inspections, a home expert will do a home inspection in which the crawl space will also be extensively examined. He/she comes up with a number of recommendations for maintenance to be carried out.
Crawl space maintenance
Especially with old houses with a wooden construction as a ground floor, a damp crawl space or water under the floor physically increases the risk of mold formation. But also new homes and new homes with a concrete floor are not an anti-mold guarantee. A damp crawl space with extra ventilation under the floor is completely and sometimes easy to remedy yourself. First check whether there are open butt joints present and whether they still allow air to pass through. Often these become closed over time due to dirt or insect rag. The butt joints may also have been deliberately closed by (previous) residents.
Possible problems in the house
When silting due to contamination is the case, tightly open the butt joints completely again. Over time, it will become clear whether this is now sufficient ventilation in the crawl space again. The natural draft under the floor dries up moisture in the crawl space. Ventilation continuously removes moisture and dries the space under your floor. This drying up is a slow process, check every week or month if there is improvement. Eventually, the crawl space must be dry and accessible again and the moisture problem is solved. If moisture accumulation may be due to defects, it is better to have this repaired with a warranty. It is possible that there are no open butt joints present or that scratching open has not helped. Then you can apply Extra Ventilation yourself. There are special renovation grilles for sale in the trade. This allows you to apply (extra) ventilation in an existing crawl space. During the architectural inspection in Haarlem, the expert can advise you extra about this.
Jobs in your own home
If you are an experienced handyman, or have handy acquaintances, this is a job that you may be able to do yourself. Especially when you are also going to insulate the crawl space, extra ventilation is needed. Compare different versions of floor insulation boards online. Drilling 2 renovation grids per house façade side is often enough to create sufficient draught in the crawl space. Choose mouse-tight grids in a colour that matches the existing masonry. There is a choice of grey plastic and black plastic variants. A stainless steel plate can be mounted on this at a few manufacturers. This way you can always choose a beautiful appearance to your own taste. Read more and order these ventilation ducts easily online at Muurrooster. Installing renovation schedules is a job that you should not underestimate. A DIY handbook may come in handy here. Specialist tools such as a long diamond drill are also needed. You can also rent this drill. Or you can have the holes drawn and drilled by a drilling company (wet or dry). If you really want Security with Warranty, leave the entire job to a specialist.
Outsourcing maintenance
For many people, applying renovation schedules is a job that you can better have done. Outsourcing to the local contractor, self-employed person or handyman on direction or having a quotation issued for this. There are also Specialized Companies in VT grids, damage repair and existing homes after Insulation. These can advise you well about the various possibilities. They are happy to help you carry out this specialist work. Carrying out a structural inspection (including a report) is a costly affair. There are several ways in which you can have an advantageous home inspection carried out. You can do this, among other things, by comparing different quotes or doing this in consultation with a possible new buyer / tenant. These architectural inspections are independent.
Water in crawl space
If there is really continuous water in the crawl space, then installing ventilation grilles alone is not enough. Several solutions are then needed to solve mold formation and its consequences. Performing much of this specialist work requires architectural knowledge and experience. Have quotations issued by several specialized companies at the same time. Some examples and solutions for draining water from the crawl space:
- Bottom in crawl space loose sign.
- Drainage application crawl space (natural drainage).
- Forcing drainage (with clock pump / float pump) into excavated well (army).
- Floor insulation (insulating existing floor).
