Dirty Crawl Space and Your Health

 

 

The Neglected Crawl Space

Dirty Crawl Space Concerns  

When a crawl space has been left unattended, the moisture content of the air in the crawl space isn’t properly monitored. It’s easy for moisture to develop in a crawl space due to changing temperatures, rainy weather, and lack of preemptive measures (like vapor barriers, dehumidifiers or micro-encapsulation). When moisture develops, it paves the way for mold, rot and termites to develop in the wooden beams in your crawl space. This rot, mold and fungi can contaminate the insulation under your floors effecting the air that you breathe.This is why Universal Pest & Termite is offering our complete crawl space clean-out service in Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Newport News and surrounding cities. 

Humidity is the culprit…

Humidity is like the eternal drinking fountain for mold and dust mites.  Mold thrives in 60% + humidity.  Just think about our summer days in the Virginia where humidity is a fact of life.  Even when humidity is low (winter), mold does not go away.  It simply turns to a dormant state releasing spores into the air. Once the humidity level is 60%, the spores turn to mold and the process repeats. Crawl Space Inspection is ,important. A moisture level will change dramatically fro July to January. Those that only have inspections in the winter are missing a vital concern with humidity. Just one single air duct line down under your home could be the cause of a dirty crawl space. This could lead to thousands of dollars of damage due to brown rot.

Who Should Get Their Ducts Cleaned?

Duct cleaning is not for everyone. If you have a brand new home with newly-installed clean duct work, you may not need them cleaned right away unless you notice signs of mold, dust, or pest infestations. However, many of our clients live in older homes, where the ducts are not as air-tight as they used to be and years of dust and dirt deposits have taken their toll. Cracks and crevices can also open a door for mold spores and vermin, such as cockroaches and mice. If you have any of the following signs, call Universal Duct Cleaning right away for a photo inspection of your duct work:

• Dirty Crawl Space. A dirty crawl space could be the culprit to dust in your home or musty smells. The air under your home can enter through leaky air ducts.
• A recent vermin infestation (insects or rodents who may have taken up residence in your duct work)
• Substantial mold or fungi grow thunder your home
• Unexplained cold- or allergy-like symptoms that persist beyond the time span of a normal illness

The other big player is dust mites.  

Dust mites absorb moisture through their skin and thrive in warm environments.  Dust mites and mold spores are known allergens and if not controlled can lead to serious health issues. Dust mites grow and spread at an alarming rate in every household - no matter how clean it is. Dust mites can grow from eggs to adults in a single month, and they begin to reproduce after only ten days, with females laying up to 2-3 eggs each day. They live 30-100 days, with females laying as many as 270 eggs before they die. According to National Wildlife Magazine, the waste they create continuously as they live counts for 80-90% of the allergic component of house dust.

Encapsulated Crawl Space

 If your crawl space isn’t encapsulated, that means that you’re constantly circulating unconditioned air. Basically, air comes in through tiny gaps in your foundation and moves up through your home. If your crawl space is dirty or moldy? That’s the air you’re breathing upstairs. If you’ve spent a lot of the winter suffering from colds and allergy problems, your crawl space might be to blame. 

 Crawl space encapsulation system completely isolates your home from the earth, this dramatically reduces the humidity level in the air which will reduce or in most cases eliminate mold growth, rot, and critters from your crawl space. Additionally, a crawl space encapsulation system is the ideal solution to reduce humidity from a damp crawl space. 

                                             

          757-502-0200

Universal Pest & Termite offers complete crawl space services including encapsulation. We offer our exclusive (Service Now-Pay Later) SmartPay service. Universal Pest & Termite understands a termite infestation can be an unexpected surprise. Due to this , we offer “SmartPay”, our exclusive service now, pay later option. Our technicians will design a moisture control protection program that best fits your home’s needs.

Moisture makes fiberglass insulation sag and fall down. 

Ever wonder why the fiberglass batts under your floor always fall down? Yes, sometimes it’s due to gravity. Unless they’re well-secured between the floor joists (they often aren’t!), they’ll fall down. But humidity can make them fall, too. Moisture in the air saturates the batts, causing them to collapse under their own weight. So much for insulated floors! Universal Insulation Doctor specializes in insulation removal and installation.