Everything You Need to Know About Crawl Space Cleaning

Have you been reluctant to clean your crawl space because you’re nervous about what you’ll find inside? Before you have any severe damage, it may be time to schedule a cleaning. Over time, crawl spaces are neglected and can affect the livability of your home.

You may notice that your allergies are getting worse over time, or there’s an odor in your home that is hard to pinpoint. Cleaning your crawl space may also reveal structural damage to your home before it worsens. A crawl space cleaning can save you from making unnecessary repairs and from extensive damage occurring.

As you continue reading, we’ll discuss everything you should know about crawl space cleaning, why it’s essential, and what possible services may accompany the cleaning process.

Why is Crawl Space Cleaning Important?

Crawl spaces are the areas under your home that are just big enough to crawl or knee in. Homes are built with crawl spaces for convenience and to prevent flooding, so the dirt doesn’t need to be levelled before building the house. Having a crawl space will also make installing your utilities easier, such as plumbing, HVAC, and electrical.

Unfortunately, with having certain conveniences, there also come negatives. Since crawl spaces are exposed to outside air, they are prone to moisture, deteriorating insulation, rodent issues, and more. This will also make them prone to mold or mildew and possible structural damage to your home.

Other things you may observe in your crawl space area are:

Musky odors
Falling insulation
Black spotting
Water leaking
Dead rodents
Rodent feces
Excessive debris
Strange noises

What is Involved in Crawl Space Cleaning?

You’ve probably been wondering what is involved in crawl space cleaning. Each crawl space cleaning situation is unique and may need different services depending on the damage. Years of not maintaining your crawl space can lead to debris buildup without you knowing.

As a homeowner, it’s recommended that you inspect your crawl space area at least once a year to see if any debris or other damages need your attention. A typical crawl space cleaning may involve the following:

1. Remove Debris

If you have any debris in your crawl space, this may hinder access if you have any cleaning services scheduled. To the best of your ability, you should remove debris from the entryway and allow our professionals to remove the remaining debris from your crawl space. Debris removal may include old construction material, nails, damaged insulation, and damaged moisture barriers.

2. Remove Rodents

When a crawl space isn’t maintained, it may attract pests and other pesky rodents. Rodents in your crawl space can also affect your home’s indoor air quality and pose serious health risks. After removing debris, if we notice evidence of rodents, we can provide cleanup and sanitation of the crawl space, followed by our rodent-proofing service.

3. Inspect for Leaks

Debris and moisture go hand in hand when needing a crawl space cleaning. Moisture will attract mold in your crawl space, requiring cleaning and air gap sealing.

4. Insulation Removal & Installation

If you have rodents who have entered your crawl space, there’s a high possibility that you’ll also have damaged insulation. Rodents love to make their nests in insulation because of its warm environment. As a team of professionals, we can replace your damaged crawl space insulation with new insulation.

5. Moisture Barrier Installation

Having excessive humidity and moisture in your crawl space can cause condensation on the ground and can damage areas of your home, such as walls and insulation, if not treated. Installing a moisture barrier encapsulation is the most-effective solution after a crawl space cleaning to prevent moisture from arising.

6. Sanitizing

When you have a clean crawl space, you shouldn’t be able to notice foul odors, nor should it be able to host mold spores. Since mold spores are difficult to spot after a crawl space, sanitizing the area is essential, especially if you’ve had a rodent infestation. More than half of the air you breathe in your home is from your crawl space.

In addition, if your crawl space is contaminated with mold, you’ll need to hire a trained professional for the sanitation process.

Why You Should Hire Master Attic for Crawl Space Cleaning

At Master Attic, our expert team of trained professionals is extremely knowledgeable about the crawl space cleaning process. We use the best and top-of-the-like techniques to clean out your crawl space to create a healthy living environment for you and your loved ones in your home.

Most importantly, our licensed technicians are trained within our company directly. Our team has remediated thousands of crawl spaces throughout New Jersey and Eastern Pennsylvania, building a fantastic reputation with homeowners.

A clean crawl space will not only keep you and your family healthy, but it will also increase the value of your home and can reduce your energy costs. If you’ve been contemplating scheduling a crawl space cleaning, give us a call today.