How to never worry about your crawl space again

Repairing water-damaged wooden floor posts in your crawl space can seem like an overwhelming and expensive project. However, if you can catch the problem before it becomes too severe, it can be quickly remedied by a professional crawl space contractor.

Step 1: Find where the water is coming from

Water intrusion could be coming from leaking pipes, or it could be from your gutters if they are depositing water around your foundation. If the ground surrounding your home is sloping towards your foundation, then the water will move and collect around, and inside, your crawl space. If the water goes unnoticed in your crawl space for too long, it will start to produce mold and rot right under your home.

Step 2: Replace your damaged wooden posts

If any of your wood posts in your crawl space have water damage, it’s crucial to remove and replace the posts. Once your wood posts are damaged, the floor that the post is supposed to be supporting will start to sag and cause damage.

If you replace your wood post, we recommend installing crawl space supports that are made with galvanized steel, which means they won’t get damaged by water or other factors. TerraFirma has the products and knowledge to ensure that your posts are properly installed and doing their job.

Step 3: Protect your crawl space

But removing the damaged posts is only partially fixing the problem. To ensure you never have to worry about your crawl space again, we also recommend sealing and dehumidifying your crawl space.

1) Seal the Crawl Space

Summer humidity and winter cold can make its way into a crawl space through the vents. Crawl space vents are also an open invitation to termites, mice, and other pests. A plastic liner can, airtight vent, and door covers will hold back moisture and humidity while creating a physical barrier between pests and your home.

2) Dehumidify the Crawl Space

Mold, rot, termites, cockroaches, and other pests all need a source of water to survive. Drying out the space with a self-draining dehumidifier will help to keep these unwanted critters out.