A crawl space in need of repair and encapsulation to prevent health issues.Your crawl space might be the perfect example of “out of sight, out of mind.” It’s just the space that’s underneath your house, right? Why do you have to spend any time thinking about it? Unless there’s some sort of serious problem with the foundation, your crawl space is just your crawl space. It seems to be one of those things that it’s OK to forget about.

Not so fast. Your crawl space is critical to the support of your home, as it contains structural elements that literally hold your house up. Beyond that, though, your crawl space can contribute positively or negatively to your family’s health. It provides a barrier between your home and the air outside, so just at a base level, it can allow low-quality air to gather underneath your home—air you and your family will end up breathing. 

But if moisture gets in and takes hold, it can lead to mold and mildew which can exacerbate or even cause breathing problems. Michigan soil contains a lot of water, which will end up in an unprotected crawl space and provide a breeding ground for mold. In addition, crawl spaces can make the perfect home for rodents and insects, some of which will likely end up in your home.

The Multiple Health Benefits of Crawl Space Encapsulation

Fortunately, crawl space repair and encapsulation can make your crawl space a clean, moisture-free environment, and can prevent health care issues emanating from this space beneath your home. Foundation Solutions 360 can eliminate the health risks posed by an unprotected crawl space.

We’ve collected the top health issues that repairing and encapsulating your crawl space can prevent.

Avoid Respiratory Problems

These are probably the most common health issues linked to a chronically wet crawl space. Michigan soils are naturally full of moisture, and in an unprotected crawl space, this moisture can seep underneath your home.

With moisture comes mold, and this is where your problems begin. Mold loves to grow on wood, and can also leach into your home and take root in your carpets and drywall. Mold releases spores into the air, and when those spores are inhaled they can cause allergic reactions in otherwise healthy people. People with mold allergies are, of course, especially susceptible, and may have difficulty breathing with wheezing and coughing. Those with compromised immune systems are also at high risk, along with infants and the elderly.

Prevent Illness from Bacteria and Parasites

An improperly cared-for crawl space invites infestation by rodents and other pests that can carry bacteria and viruses, many of which can cause serious disease.

Exposure to rat/mouse feces and urine has been linked to deadly illnesses such as hantavirus. Even the less serious related illnesses are alarming: salmonella and even bubonic plague. Contact with mouse feces can transmit tapeworms. Further, rodent bites can transmit rabies. As an infestation takes root in your home, your chance of direct contact with rodents such as rats and mice increases. A protected crawl space keeps rodents out.

Lower Your Risk of Lung Cancer

Radon emanates from the natural breakdown of uranium in soil and rock and can leach into your home from the dirt in your unencapsulated crawl space.

Long-term radon exposure has been directly linked with lung cancer. The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that approximately 21,000 people die each year from radon-related lung cancer, a mortality rate that’s second only to cancer caused by smoking.

Encapsulating your crawl space keeps radon out, and minimizes your exposure and risk of contracting radon-related lung cancer.

Crawl Space Encapsulation – An Ideal Solution

Crawl space encapsulation is designed to keep out moisture that can lead to the mold that causes respiratory problems and help prevent rodents from entering and infesting the space. It also keeps out radon. The health benefits to a clean, dry crawl space are many, and Foundation Solutions 360 can help. Contact us for a crawl space inspection and begin taking the steps toward a healthy home.

Contact Macomb, Michigan’s Crawl Space Encapsulation Experts

Do you wonder about the health benefits you could enjoy if your crawl space was repaired? Call us at (855) 532-5360! Foundation Solutions 360 are your Michigan crawl space experts. Our more than 20 years of experience inform everything we do. Whether you need crawl space encapsulation or more extensive crawl space repair, contact us for a free analysis and we’ll get you started on the road to a healthier home.