Your Home's Immune System

With moisture in the air and June storms signaling that summer is near, have you noticed any moisture inside as well? Maybe that closet door is sticking, or perhaps that floor near your bathroom is beginning to feel uneven. Do those shorts or sundresses smell just a little off, even when recently washed? These are signs of a problem in your crawlspace, unfortunately.

When telltale signs such as these appear, there can be several different things happening beneath the functional space of your house. The word “functional” might be misleading, considering that in many ways, the crawlspace is actually the most “functional” space in a home, regulating the wellbeing of the space you actually live in, and supporting it.

Think of the crawlspace and foundation like an immune system, working its hardest to keep the house healthy. When your immune system is weakened, everything becomes harder to do, because your body has to work so much harder. The foundation operates similarly, and the crawlspace where the foundation exists is the central location from which the house’s “health” is determined.  

As far as that musty smell, or that sticking closet, these are evidence of a moisture issue that most likely requires a crawlspace encapsulation system. A home without a properly sealed crawlspace is much like someone going out in the winter weather without a coat. It simply isn’t common sense, and it leads to (at the least), a common cold.  

If moisture wears away at the wooden floor joists supporting the foundation, this can cause sagging or buckling floors, and an uneven feeling in your home. Or, if beams in the crawlspace were installed too far apart, this also can cause an issue, as the flooring above then lacks the proper support and will sag as a result. This issue ultimately requires a smart jack system, which alleviates pressure from worn out joists or beams. In effect, the smart jack system serves as an antibiotic to your home’s immune system.