Learning All About Cleaning Crews

Posted on: 8 May 2015

Maintaining your home is one of the most important things that you can do to protect its value and keep it safe. However, many homeowners make the mistake of overlooking their crawlspace, and this can lead to them experiencing major problems with this part of the house. Fortunately, you can help improve your knowledge about this part of your home by learning the answers to a couple of common crawlspace questions. 

How Can You Tell If There Are Hazardous Amounts Of Mold In The Crawlspace?

One of the more common problems that homeowners encounter with their crawlspaces is mold growth. In addition to making your home smell bad, these issue can also lead to major health complications for individuals that have chronic respiratory conditions. Sadly, this is a difficult part of the home to access, and many people assume that this means it will be highly difficult to determine whether or not excessive mold growth is occurring.

Luckily, there are some tests that can be administered to accurately measure the amount of mold spores that are present in the crawlspace. This is done by placing special receptacles in the crawlspace that will analyze the air there. Often, these test will need to be in place for no more than an hour to accurately obtain this measurement. 

How Can You Remove The Smell When Sewage Backs Into Your Crawlspace?

For those with crawlspaces under their homes, it is not uncommon for sewage systems to cause damage to this area of the home. When this problem occurs, it can cause your home to smell like sewage because it will be absorbed into the dirt or wood. Removing these odors can seem almost impossible, but there are steps you can take to help minimize this problem. 

If your home has a dirt crawlspace, the only solution for this problem may be to pour a layer of concrete over the dirt. This will create a barrier that prevents the odor from ever making it into your home. While this is an expensive option, it is the most effective for those with dirt crawlspaces. For homes with wooden crawlspaces, the best option may be to add a thick layer of insulation to it and place seals around any potential cracks or opening. 

Your home's crawlspace is likely one part of the structure that you seldom pay any attention to unless a problem has developed. By understanding that tests can be administered to measure the concentration of mold and the steps needed to control the odors generated by backed up sewage into this part of the home, you can have a better idea of what needs to be done to address some common problems that crawlspaces encounter.