4 Tips to Keep Your Crawlspace Clean and Dry

9/14/2017 (Permalink)

Protect your home – keep your crawl space clean!

If you have a crawlspace beneath your home, it's crucial to keep that area clean and dry. Dirty, damp crawl spaces not only encourage mold and mildew growth, but also provide a perfect environment for snakes, rats, spiders, or even termite infestations.

These tips will help you in cleaning your crawl space and keeping the area dry and protected.

1. Prevent Water Leaks

Standing water and mold are common problems in dirt crawl spaces. The first step in keeping your crawl space free of moisture is to eliminate water leakage. This can be accomplished with the installation of a sump pump to rid the crawl space of standing water and help dry out the area. If the crawl space is very damp or wet, you can also use a humidifier to enhance the drying process.

2. Improve your Home Drainage

Once you have a system in place for removing water from your crawl space, the next step is to prevent as much moisture as possible from entering. Groundwater seepage is one of the most prominent ways crawl spaces become damp. You can prevent this by improving drainage around the foundation with soil that's graded at least 0.5 inches per foot, sloping away from the house.

Provide Better Insulation

There are many ways moisture can get into your crawl space and a number of ways you can prevent that from happening. One way is to lay down a heavy-duty plastic moisture barrier on the floor of your crawl space to prevent ground moisture from condensing in the space.

You can also use moisture-proof insulation for any exposed foundation walls. Also, install additional vapor barriers on the walls of the crawlspace. This forces moisture toward the sump pump rather than into your Nashville home's foundation.

4. Use Commercial Cleaning Services

If your crawlspace is currently damp, dirty, infested with mold or mildew growth, or suffering from standing water problems, SERVPRO of Belle Meade / West Nashville can help you restore your crawl space to a clean, dry condition. Our expert cleaning technicians will provide mold removal or mold remediation services as necessary. We will completely dry out your crawl space, and install protective measures to help keep the space beneath your home dry, clean, and free from contamination and critters.

Contact SERVPRO of Belle Meade / West Nashville to tackle all your tough cleaning jobs, including home crawl spaces and mold/mildew removal. Our highly trained technicians deliver prompt, professional services for all aspects of residential and commercial restoration and cleaning services.