Crawlspace Water Damage In Your Home
By Aydan Corkern
Have you ever been underneath your house in the crawlspace? Of Course, if you have a basement, that would be considered your crawlspace, but homes without a basement are stuck with the usually cramped dark area between the floors of the house and the ground it was built on.
No one particularly likes to go under there and unless there is a reason to they will not. Water leaks or a home flood are two reasons that the crawlspace should definitely be checked out. You have no idea the kind of damage that can be done to a house just because there was a water leak that went on for a long period of time before anyone found it or damage that could rotting in the wooden sub flooring or joists under the house.
When a wooden joist is wet by leaking or flooding and is not properly dried out, the effect it can have on the structure of a home could be similar to an invasion of termites. The wood will slowly rot and mold is likely present. Over time, the joist or joists affected will weaken and can allow sagging from the weight of other home materials.
You might not think that just one weakened joists out of the many that holds up the home would be such a big deal, but you might compare that one or two weakened joist to the weakest link in a chain. When one joist is cracked or rotted thoroughly enough, the rooms that sit on that particular spot can begin to show signs of misalignment. The floors can sink in certain spots. When this begins, next the walls can be affected, as well as doorways and windows. They might begin to close improperly or not at all.
Sometimes it is not always the wooden joists of the home that can cause this. Sometimes the blocks that form the foundation of the home can sink into the ground more on one side of a home than the others. This can cause the same type of settling. All homes will usually have a small degree of settling over the years, but when it is extreme, it can cause some really bad damage that can cost thousands of dollars to have repaired.
If you notice any signs of changes in the levelness of floors in your home or a change in the slant of windows or doorways, this is showing that changes are taking place. If you notice cracks in the sheet rock or bricks outside of your home, this is also signs of settling or a compromised foundation that should not be ignored. It is always better to call in a professional to find the problem when these signs are first noticed because the longer you wait the more money it could cost for repairs.
About The Author
Aydan Corkern is a writer of many topics, visit some of her sites, like
water damage chicago and water damage georgia.