The crawl space is one of your home’s most important, but most overlooked areas. As spooky as these areas are, they help provide easy access to crucial areas of your home. Crawlways, as they are sometimes called, benefit from waterproofing.
Waterproofing helps ensure that your crawlway area performs the job that you expect of it. Because waterproofing makes this space more accessible, you will want to read on to learn more about how this process can benefit your home in the long run.
Adding to Your Home’s Value and Protecting Its Structure
Waterproofing access areas, although not “glamorous” like some upgrades, can significantly add to your home’s value. Buyers want to have confidence that areas they may need to access, like crawl spaces, are secure and safe.
When you waterproof one of these areas, you are making a space that many homeowners customarily avoid much more accessible. Knowing that this area has been waterproofed is a selling point for many a buyer, especially if they’ve had trouble with leaks in a previous property.
Another important benefit is providing protection for your foundation, which, in turn, protects your home’s structure. Some of the problems that you may have to deal with when your foundation is weak include:
- Floor and wall cracks
- Rusting metal
- Rotting wood
If any of these problems are present, it’s a good idea to consult with a foundation specialist to find out what options might be available to you.
Waterproofing Your Crawl Space Protects Against Health Hazards, Pests, and Flooding
Deciding to waterproof your crawl space can lead to benefits for your health and protect your home from damaging pests and flooding. High humidity in crawlway areas can lead to mold, which can trigger allergy symptoms of varying severity, as well as asthma, especially in children.
Ants, dust mites, and cockroaches, always an annoyance, can easily enter homes through crawl spaces. However, more destructive pests like termites, mice, and rats are also a possible problem. Waterproofing your access area makes it less likely to attract these pests.
One of the most dangerous threats that you’ll want to secure your crawlway against is flooding. If water escapes from this space, it can easily penetrate your basement, leading to structural issues. Waterproofing helps put a stop to this before it becomes a problem, helping you get more from this part of your house.
Reduced Energy Costs
One of the benefits you’ll enjoy with having your crawlway waterproofed is having your HVAC system work more efficiently. If this area of your home traps a lot of humidity or is damp, your heating/cooling system must work harder to control your home’s temperature.
Another HVAC-related issue that may come from crawl spaces is air leaks. In many cases, the first clue that you may have air leaks is a rise in your energy bills. Waterproofing may save you a lot of money over time by helping you cut out these costs, which easily add up.
Fixing Your Crawl Space Increases Storage
Another feature important to many prospective buyers is increased storage space. Paying for storage units is an expense many homeowners prefer not to pay. Being able to store more in your house also cuts down on the need to buy backyard sheds you might not need.
Waterproofed crawlways are an ideal alternative to both these solutions. You don’t have to pay rent to a storage provider or pay the extra costs of buying a shed. Although the waterproofing process may initially seem expensive, it will benefit you in the long run.
KC Pier handles everything foundation-related, including waterproofing your crawl space, so contact us to get started on your foundation job today.