What Is A Crawl Space Anyway?
While you've probably heard the term previously, you may not entirely know what it means. Essentially, it's the space under your home where many of the pipes, cables, and otherwise and run through to provide your home with everything it needs. It's so called because it's usually only one to two feet tall, so you must crawl to go through it. So, why does it matter in terms of keeping it clean?
Insulation Might Be Damaged
Just as with other parts of your home, your crawl space has insulation in place to help keep the temperature regulated. In particular, this insulation helps keep the floors of your home from being too cold. If you're noticing that hardwood or tile flooring is freezing lately, the issue may be related to this. If water leaks onto it, or animals have gnawed at it, the insulation may be malfunctioning and need to be taken care of. This can cost you when it comes to energy spending, so getting your crawl space cleaned means that it'll be safely removed and fresh material can be installed.
Mold And Fungi Growth Is Harmful!
Mold, mildew, fungi, all of these things can eat away at your crawl space and even spread past it to do further destruction to your home. It can weaken wood and other structures, and along with that it's a health risk. Those with breathing disorders in particular can be harmed by spores in the air, so it's vital to ensure it all gets removed safely.
Animal Waste Can Contaminate!
Particularly with rodents, waste or even carcasses from animals that wind up in your crawl space can spread disease and be another health hazard for your home. If they have died, the smell may also make its way up and be noticeable, and even if not, it'll draw in more pests to deal with. Bugs and insects in particular will be enticed, and they can destroy wood and other components of your home. Pests can also damage the vapor barriers in place to keep your crawl space dry, allowing moisture in to cause aforementioned problems like mold and ineffective insulation. It's all connected together, but that means that a cleaning will help protect against all of these issues!