Most of today’s homes have crawl spaces, but few of us ever venture up there. No one really likes to think of crawling up into that tight space, but there may be a few reasons to consider it. It is important to schedule an annual checkup for your crawlspace, since this can help you spot potential signs of trouble and get them stopped before they become larger issues. Let’s take a look at how to inspect your crawlspace for a very common problem and how to fight it.

If you live in a humid area, or your area gets a lot of rain, you may notice a mildew smell in the house that you can’t get rid of. Chances are, your crawlspaces have become damp and the mildew is forming up there. It is important to get rid of this problem as quickly as possible, since mold could also be forming inside that crawlspace. Take this opportunity to check your crawlspace and see what is going on up there.

Once you’ve determined that your crawlspace is indeed a bit damp, there are a few things that you will need to do. First, it is important to ventilate the area. Most crawlspaces are closed up all year round and little air can circulate through there. This creates the ideal breeding ground for mold and mildew spores. If your home does not have a vent, you will need to install one.

You can find appropriate vents at your local hardware store, and the process of installing them is quite easy. Locate a spot on an exterior wall and cut a hole through to the outside. Place the vent in, and properly secure it. You now have a way to get rid of that moisture buildup!

This will help, but you may also need to see what is causing dampness in your crawlspace. If the mildew is not severe, it may just be the side effect of living in a moist climate. If it is severe, chances are you may have a leak. You will need to inspect all the walls inside that crawlspace and look for any leaks that may be occurring. If you do find a leak, repair it immediately. Overtime, this can lead to serious water damage on your ceilings and walls.

Lastly, it is a very good idea to completely clean out your crawlspace. If you are storing excess insulation or even household items up there, remove them and find a new storage space. Insulation is a particularly nasty culprit when it comes to mildew and can be the source of a lot of mildew odor problems. If your crawlspace is permanently smelly, get fiberglass insulation that has a vapor barrier. Install this throughout the crawlspace, with the vapor barrier facing the top of the crawlspace. This will help keep the odors inside the space instead of in your home. This is a great solution if the damage has already been done and you need to get rid of the smell of mildew in your home.

Photo Credits: 1

Originally posted 2008-12-04 20:30:40. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

Related Posts

• How to Freshen Up Your Bathroom Most of us go to the bathroom to freshen up, but there are a few easy tips you can use to freshen up the entire room. If your bathroom is getting a little boring, or you’re just sick of how it looks, these tips will help you save money and......
• Steps to Installing a Home Steam Shower A home steam shower makes your bathroom a retreat, and if you're a do-it-yourselfer with some experience you can probably handle at least some of the installation yourself. Not only will it make time spent in the bathroom more enjoyable, but any type of bathroom remodeling improves the value of......
• Remodel with Furniture Arrangement There's a growing trend in interior design in which furniture arrangement is the biggest change in a room, while making it look as if it's been remodeled. It's certainly a budget arrangement, because it doesn't cost anything to move furniture around. A poorly arranged room can go from blah to......
• Fixing Warped Floors Warped flooring is a major problem for many homeowners. First, it is typically caused by water damage, and can be indicative of a major leak, but it can also be caused by excessive wear, poor original materials or even chance. Warped floors are a bit of a hazard around the......
• 6 Ways to Keep Your Basement Dry A leaky basement is a nightmare. Mold and mildew build up and can be hazardous to your health. In addition, many of us store things in the basement and we don't want to risk having them ruined. There are a few techniques that you can use to make sure that......

Related Websites

• Watch Those Speed Bumps Guest Post By Michel Fortin A forum post on my copywriters board suggested that too many italics, bolds, underlines, yellow highlighting and the like are not good. One referred to them as “speed bumps,” which reduce usability and readability. I don’t necessarily agree with this premise. First, understand that formatting......
• Mold Equals Discounted Price Nearly every home has some type of mold in it.  There are over 100,000 types of molds in the world.  Some molds produce secondary metabolites that produce toxins which are very dangerous to your health.  We may be unaware we are breathing mold spores and toxins until we develop health......
• Top Prosper Listing Titles Of All Time Here are all Prosper listing titles with at least 100 occurrences.  Once again, the credit for the initial idea goes to leporello. #   Title 4744  Debt consolidation    681   BILL CONSOLIDATION    664   consolidation    604   Consolidating Debt    518   Paying off debt    516   paying off bills    501   Starting Over    467   pay off bills    466   Pay off credit cards    442   Credit Card Consolidation    439   Paying......
• Finding The Perfect Hamster Cage - Cheap! by Amelia Ratton Hamsters are a great choice for children, but if you are put off by the cost then dont be! When it comes to hamster cages, cheap options are available (from upwards of just $20!) " and there are a huge variety of cages available to suit all......
• What to do If Your Home Has Mold and Mildew? The recent storms in the area may have your wondering what may be growing behind my drywall? OR It may have you wondering why is my sinus acting up?  Well, it may be mold. Take this survey, http://www.care2.com/greenliving/quiz-home-growing-mold.html to determine if that is the case. Once you determine if it......

Online Stores

• Clean Romance Books

If you liked this article, vote for it on del.icio.us and stumbleupon.


Categories:

Clean, Crawl Space, Handy Man, Maintain, Mold

Tags:

breeding ground, ceilings, crawlspace, crawlspaces, dampness, Hardware Store, humid area, leaks, mildew smell, mildew spores, moist climate, moisture buildup, mold and mildew, rain, signs of trouble, tight space, vent, water damage