Not a Spring Clean

12/6/2021 (Permalink)

Crawlspace damage

I am in a local business networking group. There are 47 members in this group. One member, Hunter, who owns an inspection business that inspects houses before they go up for sale or to help close the sale. Hunter and I were having a conversation and he was describing some of the crawlspaces and attics that he has inspected in the recent weeks for homeowners wanting to sell their homes. He went on to tell us how there were a few where the homeowner, due to their age, had not be in the crawlspace and/or attic in years. This is a common theme across the United States. Homeowners who are getting older may not be in condition to crawl on the ground and inspect and this is why his business is thriving. It is of massive importance that we as homeowners do a walk around, attic and crawlspace included, at least two times a year. If we can’t, then we need to hire someone to do it or ask a friend or delegate it to a family member. Whatever we need to do, it needs to get done. Homeowner “maintenance’ is a term insurance agents and adjustors look at, at times, when a claim is filed.

Now that we are heading into the harsh winter months in the Pacific Northwest, we can all expect heavy rains and freezing temperatures.  Here is what to look for when conducting an inspection:

• Displaced or damaged insulation.
• Torn or missing crawlspace vapor barrier (plastic)
• Musty odors, unpleasant smells.
• Mold spots on insulation or wood beams.
• Cracks and leaks in the pipes.
• Rusting of medal beams and water pipes.
• Presence of rodents/pests.
• Signs or previous flooding and/or water damage.

Regularly inspecting and maintaining your attic and crawl space can be incredibly beneficial. It can improve the air quality of your home because about 40% of your homes air comes from the crawl space. It also can extend the life of your homes structure and save you money on your energy bill!

Like I stated above if we as homeowners can’t perform the inspection then we need to hire out. SERVPRO of Longview/Kelso is professionally trained and ready to help! They offer a variety of cleaning and restoration services to help with maintaining your crawlspace and attic.