Hidden Health risks in your Crawl Space

health risk in crawl space

health risk in crawl spaceNashville, Murfreesboro, Knoxville and Chattanooga TN

There is a dark, scary place under some homes. It holds cobwebs, spiders, and, occasionally, small feral rodents. It is a dank, musty area known as the “crawl space.” All right, it’s not all that scary but when was the last time you went into the crawl space under your house? Probably not recently, right? That’s not a surprise, but there are a couple of reasons you should at least check it out. If there were a potential hazard under your home, wouldn’t you like to know? Flooding and moisture build-up is a common issue that people experience in the crawl space or the undercarriage of their house. That isn’t the only risk. Ameri Care Services wants to educate you on the hidden health risks lurking in your crawl space.

Even if there was a little water under your house, what’s the big deal?

The big deal is that as much as 40 percent of the airflow into your home comes from your crawl space. That could lead to all sorts of problems such as asthma, allergens, pathogens, mold, and dust. The underbelly of this proverbial beast actually could pose several threats to your family’s health. That’s why Ameri Care Service has three things you should check for under your home.

  1. Pests: Crawl spaces can attract an assortment of creatures including spiders, mice, rats, snakes, termites, raccoons, and other invasive critters. What you might not realize about these uninvited houseguests is that they are affecting your air quality by releasing pathogens into the air from their urine and fecal matter.
  2. Moisture: When the dirt remains damp, or water enters your crawl space, it eventually must evaporate. That can damage your house structurally, or create mold issues. That mold can travel into your house, where there can be a number of potential impacts: changing air quality, mold growing in your home’s infrastructure, and even destroying your HVAC system.
  3. Radon: When uranium decays in the soil, it creates a byproduct that will eventually find its way into the air as a gas called radon. Radon is the number one reason, outside of cigarette smoking, that people get lung cancer. Unfortunately, radon can’t be seen or smelled, so the only way of knowing if it’s already in your home is to test for it.

After finding out all of the things that could actually be happening under your home, you can see why you should check your crawl space more often. These checks can help you see any issues you may be having, but now that you possess the knowledge, what should you do with it? Ameri Care Services suggests a couple of options for homeowners trying to prevent or fix crawl space problems. You can encapsulate the crawl space with a durable liner, install a drainage system, or invest in a sump pump. While these aren’t really easy to do on your own, our basement and crawl space waterproofing experts at Ameri Care Services can handle this job for you.

Treating crawl spaces in Nashville

Don’t wait until you have a crawl space full of health hazards like rodent feces, mold from standing rainwater, and radon gas. Ameri Care Services offers multiple ways or you to get your house in its best health today. Your crawl space doesn’t have to be a dark cavern threatening your health. To learn more about our pest control, waterproofing, or radon testing services in the Murfreesboro and Nashville, TN areas, contact Ameri Care Services at (615) 893-7111.