Are you buying a home with foundation problems in Alabama? Wondering if you should you fix it or ditch it?
It’s no secret. The real estate market has been HOT and homes in Alabama are no exception. Just how hot? According to the Alabama Center for Real Education at the University of Alabama home sale prices in Alabama increased a whopping 15.3% in 2021. Yikes!
As if rising prices weren’t hard enough on potential-buyers, due to the highly competitive market, inventory is also lower, making it more difficult than ever to find that dream home.
Buying a Home with Foundation Problems
With low inventory and fierce demand, the question is, are foundation problems like; cracks in walls, doors that stick, humidity in the crawl space or a wet basement, good reasons to shy away from a potential new home purchase? Or is it a great opportunity to own a home that only requires a few minor repairs?
The good news is, most of the more serious foundation problems can be remedied by spending on average, about $12,000. For lesser problems, like a little water intrusion from under the basement footer, costs can turn out to be as low as $3,500.
Reputable Alabama contractors will back those repairs with a warranty. Which means once the repairs are finished, you’ll have peace of mind that your “problem” home is now on solid ground. As a bonus, many warranties are even transferable to the new homeowner.
While foundation problems may cause some buyers to run scared, more savvy and creative buyers may be able to identify a good bargain in an otherwise red-hot market.
In other words, don’t let a few minor problems sour you on an otherwise great home.
What Should I Do if the Home I am Purchasing Has Foundation Problems?
If you receive a Home Inspection Report noting foundation problems, the first thing you will want to do is get an accurate assessment of what’s causing the problems and what it will cost to repair them.
An expert will be able to guide you through the process and give you the confidence and knowledge you need to make an informed decision.
You have two great options at your disposal. A local foundation repair contractor is a great bet and can provide you with a free cost estimate. Your second option would be contacting a Structural Engineer to draft a Structural Inspection Report. These reports can cost anywhere from $79-$800 depending on the size of your structure.
When Should I Avoid Buying a Home with Foundation Problems?
Most foundation problems in older Alabama homes can be corrected by a reputable foundation repair contractor. But when you run across structural problems in a newer build home, that can be a bit more concerning.
Foundation problems usually develop over time. So, to see them developing early in a home’s lifespan may be an indication of a build-quality issue, meaning the home builder could be at fault. In either scenario, a reputable foundation repair contractor or Structural Engineer will be able to help guide you.
If you are considering buying or selling a home with foundation problems and have any questions or concerns, just give us a call. We’re here to help.
Crawl space homes are common in Alabama and so are the problems affecting them.
Here are 3 of the most common dangers working against your crawl space home.
Mold & Allergens – Wet, untreated crawl spaces can quickly become home to mold and allergens that creep into the living areas of your home. To prevent or remedy this problem, consider crawl space encapsulation & dehumidifier.
Water Intrusion – Unsealed crawl space home with poor-or-no drainage can hold excess water, creating the perfect environment for mold, pests and structural decay. To prevent or remedy this, consider crawl space waterproofing and sump pumps.
Structural Damage – The wet, moldy wood supporting your home can weaken over time, leading to sagging floors and other serious foundation problems. To remedy this, consider installing SoDry Support Jacks.
Concerned about your crawl space? Schedule a Free Evaluation for peace of mind
Don’t let minor crawl space problems prevent you from enjoying your home. Keep your home dry, clean and beautiful with help from the experts here at SouthernDry.
As much as homeownership costs and upkeep might frustrate you sometimes, we’re not talking about clearing the site with a bulldozer. In this case, “leveling” refers to restoring like-new alignment to a home that has settled unevenly.
If you haven’t heard of the term before, house leveling is really just another way of saying “foundation repair”, and the lingo often shows up on popular home restoration television shows and home improvement vlogger video channels. Leveling (best left to experienced foundation repair professionals) can be done on virtually any type of foundation, including the common basement, slab and pier-and-beam varieties.
This brief definitive guide covers the essentials you need to know about house leveling.
Why do houses need leveling?
As we’ve established in previous posts about foundation repair and other kinds of structural restoration, all homes are subject to normal settling over time. Settling only becomes a problem when it happens unevenly, putting greater stress on vulnerable parts of your foundation. Here are seven factors that might increase risk of uneven settling:
Unstable soil conditions beneath your home
Unusual weather or seismic activity
Insufficient grading of the soil around your house
Extreme temperature or groundwater fluctuations that weaken your foundation
Material failures from age, wear, rot, pests, corrosion, or hydrostatic pressure
Hidden soil erosion due to conditions on adjacent properties
In rare cases, flaws in foundation design or construction practices
Any of these conditions can either carry supporting soil out from under parts of your foundation, or compromise the load-bearing capacity of individual structural components. When this happens, the house will settle unevenly, causing surrounding materials to separate and shift out of alignment. It’s important to pay attention to the condition of your foundation.
How do I know if my house needs leveling?
The signs tend to creep up on you gradually, and they can show up anywhere, but one thing is certain — these kinds of problems don’t go away by themselves and will only get worse over time. You may need professional house leveling help if you see common signs like these:
Floors start to sag, tilt, feel spongy, or give you a “downhill” feeling when you walk
Doors and windows that used to operate smoothly start to bind, stick, or misalign
Interior or exterior finish materials begin to crack or separate
Concrete slabs around the property sink, break, or shift out of alignment
Architectural elements like chimneys, carports, or patio covers shift or tilt
How does house leveling work?
A reputable house leveling expert will usually provide you with a no-cost, no-obligation inspection of your property. The best ones will follow up promptly with an evaluation of any repairs needed, including a range of restoration options that will be the best fit for your individual situation and budget.
The corrective measures that house leveling experts use may include one (or an engineered combination) of these field-proven methods:
Adding shims where support members have shifted or separated
Restoring the load-bearing capacity of supporting soil in the affected area
Repairing, re-anchoring, or replacing deteriorated beams
Adding concrete piers in carefully engineered locations
Lifting sections of the foundation back into alignment with steel or concrete piles
Lifting unsupported slab sections with synthetic materials or slurry compounds
IMPORTANT: If your home was a “new build” within the last 10 years, you may be entitled to warranty protection from the builder to correct covered damage. In cases like these, it’s crucial to gather your original purchase paperwork and follow the claim instructions promptly.
How much does house leveling cost?
The cost of house leveling varies a great deal depending on the kind of home you live in, how big it is, how old it is, the foundation type (slab, crawl space, basement) and how long and how far the settling damage has progressed. For these and other reasons, it’s impossible to give you a reliable “one size fits all” dollar projection.
You can use broad national cost averages to get a frame of reference, but we want to emphasize again that the price you’ll pay for house leveling depends completely on your individual circumstances.
For a small house or basic crawl space home setup, you may only need a few expertly placed shims to square things up again. Simple jobs like these may only cost between $3,000 and $5,500. For large homes with more complex foundations and major problems, prices could run as high as $35,000 for a complete leveling restoration.
Historic homes built 100 or more years ago require a practiced professional hand. This is important not only for the technical restoration challenges involved, but also to manage compliance with any special codes and restrictions covering protected properties in your locality.
To give you some purely approximate numbers to go by, for Alabama homeowners in our database, the average leveling cost is around $10,400, with most jobs landing in the $7,500 to $12,600 range. Before you get overwhelmed by sticker shock, it’s important to know that when you choose a house leveling expert, the right partner will help you find an affordable way to reach your restoration goals.
How can I find a qualified house leveling expert?
There are a lot of “foundation repair” companies out there who are eager to get you to sign a house leveling contract. Some are more qualified than others, and you should ask questions before you commit to working with them. Smaller operations may offer a tempting low price, but may cut corners and disappear after the job when you need support. Bigger companies will have the resources to do a good job, but you may not get the attention you deserve.
Here are 9 questions you should ask before you commit:
Tell me about the owners of your company?
Is your company licensed and bonded?
Does your company have an A+ BBB rating?
Do you offer free evaluations?
Do you guarantee your work?
Who will perform the work on my home?
What training do your crews get?
Do you offer financing plans for bigger jobs?
What happens if there’s a problem with my leveling job?
SouthernDry is a family-owned “customer first” company. We treat your property as we would treat our own, and we’re focused on getting you the lasting results you need at a fair price. We excel at house leveling, crawl space encapsulation, basement waterproofing and all aspects of foundation repair.
The reason we’re in business is to ensure decades of worry-free living in your home. We do that by offering you transparent, competitive pricing, and by staffing your job with people who care personally about delivering great work.
With SouthernDry, you get one-on-one attention from the initial estimate to final repair. We’ll answer your questions, make the recommendations that are in your best interests, and stick with you until the job is done to your satisfaction. In the unlikely event that something’s out of order, we’ll come back out promptly and make it right.
Homeowners choose us over the big box outfits because we’re relentless about quality. For peace of mind about your house leveling needs, call us at (205) 719-2544, or visit us online at www.southerndry.com.
Crawl space encapsulation has become a hot topic for Alabama homeowners. Alabama’s warm and humid conditions can invite a variety of problems into your crawl space that, left unattended, could threaten the structural integrity of your home and could even expose your family to hidden health risks.
As a trusted provider of crawl space waterproofing and air quality services in Alabama, we get the following questions a lot from concerned homeowners.
What is crawl space encapsulation?
How does crawl space encapsulation work?
How much does it cost to encapsulate my crawl space?
We’ve put together this simple introduction to help you get up to speed on this popular home protection strategy and understand the most common crawl space repair options.
What is crawl space encapsulation?
In the most basic terms, crawl space encapsulation can mean any combination of techniques, materials, and equipment used to seal the open space between your floor and the ground below to protect it from the harmful effects of pests and unwanted moisture.
Depending on the size, placement, and condition of your home and foundation, crawl space encapsulation could involve a mix of several of these common remedies:
Engineered single- or multi-layer vapor barrier material in varying thicknesses (commonly ranging between 12mil – 90mil in thickness)
Seals and doors to protect vents, utility penetrations, and entryways against pests and water
One or more sump pumps to manage chronic storm or groundwater infiltration
Dehumidification treatment to maintain clean, dry, mold-free air (we recommend Sante Fe dehumidifiers)
Extra insulation in problem areas to reduce temperature extremes
Finding a trustworthy crawl space encapsulation contractor you can trust
Beware of high-pressure scare tactics and 1-size-fits-all solutions.
Make sure to get answers to all your price and warranty questions before you sign any repair contracts.
When in doubt – always check with your local Better Business Bureau to ensure the company you are working with has an A+ rating.
And remember – you can always count on SouthernDry for a free & honest quote or project price comparison.
How does crawl space encapsulation work?
Cleaning and preparation of the crawl space, including removal of construction debris and any stones or sharp materials that could puncture the vapor barrier
Installation or repair of supplemental drainage enhancements, which may include improvements to external gutter and rain spout systems
Installation of the correct thickness of vapor barrier material, which may be self-adhesive or be held in place with specialized tape or fasteners
Installation of seals and/or sealing materials around crawl space vents, doors, or places where utility connections come into the crawl space area
Placement and connection of one or more optional sump pumps
Placement and connection of optional dehumidifiers
The main point of crawl space encapsulation is to protect your home by keeping destructive water, mold, allergens, humidity and pests out, and to make sure that conditions remain stable, clean, and healthy on the inside. As a bonus, additional benefits often include improved energy costs and a boost to your home’s resale value.
It’s important to know that although similar materials and equipment are involved, virtually every encapsulation job is unique (or at least it should be – remain wary of companies offering a 1-size-fits-all approach). Because of this dynamic, costs can vary a lot depending on the age and size of your home and on the current condition of your crawl space.
The right encapsulation partner will help you come up with an affordable solution that fits your individual needs.
How much does crawl space encapsulation cost in Alabama?
According to surveys by online home improvement hubs like HomeAdvisor, Angi, or Thumbtack, national price averages are pretty consistent across all regions in the U.S.
In the state of Alabama, a low end or basic job runs around $5,000 and a high end or extensive job may run as high as $25,000, with a midpoint averaging around $12,500. Before you succumb to sticker shock, it’s important to remember that these are broad state-wide averages, and not necessarily what you’ll pay locally.
If crawl space encapsulation is right for your home, it may be more affordable than you think. Here are the top factors that are most likely to influence your costs:
Vapor barrier material selection. You can choose a variety of standard thicknesses ranging from 6 to 20 millimeters. Material cost averages between $0.15 to $0.50 per square foot, with installation labor running between $2.00 to $4.00 per square foot.
Sealing tape. Specially designed four-inch wide tape to anchor the vapor barrier material in place and provide a continuous seal at the edges comes in 180 foot rolls. You can expect to pay around $50 per roll and it can take as many as four rolls to finish an average-sized crawl space.
Sealing materials for doors and vents. Vent seals can range in price from $10 to $20 each, and a properly sealed access door could run you anywhere from $50.00 to over $100, excluding installation labor.
Drainage solutions. These costs depend on the size and condition of each crawl space. For a simple French drain trench in affected areas, drainage rock is sold by the cubic yard at a unit rate of about $0.30 – $0.40. Perforated pipe prices range anywhere from under $0.50 to over $3.00 per linear foot.
Sump pump units. Bare equipment cost (excluding installation labor) for a crawl space sump pump can range from under $500 for a basic model to over $2000 for an advanced unit with extra stages and features such as digital monitoring and a battery backup.
Dehumidifier units. Large capacity, low-maintenance dehumidifiers can cost anywhere from $850 to $3200, depending on the features you need and how much upkeep you’re willing to do. This is bare equipment cost excluding installation labor.
Local permitting fees. In some jurisdictions, you’ll need to leave room in your budget for applicable building permits. Your encapsulation partner should fully disclose these costs in their estimate with clear instructions on who is responsible for obtaining them. Permit fees in Alabama tend to run around $8 to $9 per $1,000 in construction valuation for existing homes, but may not be required in your locality.
Labor costs and installer fees. In most cases, you will receive an itemized proposal or estimate based on an overall unit cost including all labor, equipment, and materials. When you reach out to a crawl space encapsulation expert for an evaluation, it’s important to ask direct questions about how they break down their estimates and how you know you’re getting competitive value for what they’re asking you to spend.
Material and labor aside, here is what we are seeing locally so far in Alabama in 2021 as far as the cost to encapsulate a crawl space home.
What is the average cost of crawl space encapsulation in Birmingham, AL in 2021? We are seeing average foundation repair costs in the Birmingham area come in around $10,470. These costs are spread over a wide variety of jobs and sometimes include structural repairs like support jacks, so be sure to contact us for more information.*
What is the average cost of crawl space encapsulation in Huntsville, AL in 2021? Projects including support jacks, drainage, vapor barriers, sump pumps and dehumidifiers are averaging $12,700 in this area. Contact us for an accurate and exact quote!*
What is the average cost of crawl space encapsulation in Auburn, AL in 2021? Crawl space restoration can include a wide variety of repairs – we are seeing an average cost of $9,240 in this area. Again, this can vary, so an accurate quote tailored to your exact needs is an important step in the process.*
What is the average cost of crawl space encapsulation in Montgomery, AL in 2021? We’re seeing an average cost of $8,247 for crawl space waterproofing in this area. Again, this can vary, so an accurate quote tailored to your exact needs is an important step in the process.*
All of the averages given above are based on local work but are the average for the Alabama area. These numbers are not an exact quote and should not be construed as such, they are provided for information purposes only. Contact our Project Planners for an exact quote.
How to save money on crawl space encapsulation
For a project this important to the security and longevity of your home, it pays to choose cost-cutting opportunities wisely. With some research and elbow grease it is possible to bring the job in below market averages with a good end result. The risk goes up when you work with a company that cuts corners on quality to get you to sign off on a deceptively low bid.
Here are a few of the best cost saving opportunities we’ve seen in the Birmingham area:
Do the initial clean out, debris removal, and preparation yourself.
Choose a less expensive vapor barrier. There’s an optimum thickness that’s best for the condition of your home. After that, the cost benefit stops going up with the price.
Find out if the lower priced sump pump or dehumidifier will do the job. Some jobs can be completed by grading the landscape instead of using a sump pump.
See if self-adhesive vapor barrier is available in your area. This speeds installation (saving some labor dollars) and reduces the need for other fastening materials.
Ask if spray foam insulation will work in your situation. This can be a lower cost alternative to fiberglass insulation on more extensive jobs.
Shop around for the right crawl space encapsulation partner. Compare bids on an itemized basis and check references to ensure the company is reputable.
Do I need a crawl space maintenance plan?
An annual crawl space maintenance plan is a great way to ensure years of worry-free living in your home.
Maintenance plans are offered by most reputable contractors in Alabama and include an annual inspection of your crawl space and any new equipment, such as sump pumps, vapor barriers, drainage and dehumidifiers. Inspections are usually performed on a yearly or seasonal basis. Air quality and moisture conditions will also be assessed during your inspection.
Because the fight against mother nature is an ongoing battle, maintenance plans are a great way to refresh your defense systems on an ongoing basis while protecting your home.
Need an exact price estimate for crawl space encapsulation in Alabama? Sign-up now for a personalized, no-cost evaluation of your crawl space
SputhernDry is a “customer first” company that’s focused on getting you the lasting results you need at a fair price. We excel at crawl space encapsulation, helical piers, basement waterproofing and all aspects of foundation repair.
The only reason we’re in business is to ensure decades of worry-free living in your home. We do that by offering you transparent, competitive pricing, and by staffing your job with people who care personally about delivering great work and great value.
With SouthernDry, you get one-on-one attention from the initial estimate to final repair. We’ll answer your questions, make the recommendations that are in your best interests, and stick with you until the job is done to your satisfaction. In the unlikely event that something’s out of order, we’ll come back out promptly and make it right. Homeowners choose us over the big box outfits because we’re relentless about quality.
For peace of mind about your crawl space, call us at (205) 719-2544.
How to maintain your foundation: 6 things every Alabama homeowner should know
When it comes to maintaining your foundation (basement, slab or crawl space) during periods of hot, dry weather, watering your foundation as a home protection practice can help you avoid foundation repair. Here are 6 things every property owner should know.
Setting up a simple foundation inspection and watering routine is easy and can help you prevent costly repairs down the line.
A quick review of foundation basics
To reduce a complex subject down to one sentence, a good foundation needs solid contact with stable soil to properly support your house. Because cyclical changes in moisture can cause soil to expand and contract throughout the year, it makes sense that consistently managing the water around your house is vital for foundation health.
In general, you want to keep an eye on these three important factors:
A proper five-percent negative slope all around your house
Gutters and drains that are in good repair and direct water away from your foundation
Protection from tree roots that can crack or displace foundation elements, or open the way for excess water to infiltrate and undermine your foundation
Regardless of your foundation type, a certain amount of settling over time is normal. The key is to do what you can to ensure that your foundation is making consistent contact with the surrounding soil so that its load-bearing capacity isn’t compromised or uneven.
Moisture plays an important part in this process. If the soil is too wet it can soften or erode to the point that parts of your foundation will be unsupported. It can also lead to leaky basements. Whereas, soil that’s too dry can pull away from the perimeter of your foundation, leaving those portions not only partially unsupported, but also exposed to other kinds of future damage.
6 things to know about watering your foundation during the notorious hot, dry Alabama summer months
In the hottest, driest parts of the year, the soil around your foundation may have a tendency to dry out and pull away, leaving below-grade portions exposed. The easiest way to test for this is to dig a small hole a foot or two deep at a few sample points around your foundation. A handful of dirt from the bottom of these test holes should ball up and hold together.
If the soil crumbles in your hand, the ground is too dry. If you only get runny, shapeless mud, the ground is too wet. You can also see if there are exposed surface areas where the earth has pulled away from the grade line around your foundation. Too much moisture requires some drainage or grading work. Too little moisture can be corrected with simple watering.
Here are the 6 main things you should know about starting your own foundation watering routine
Any method that works for you will get the job done
You can water with a standard timed soaker hose from the home improvement store
You can water by hand using a regular spray nozzle
You can plant perimeter shrubs in a properly sloped bed and just water them normally
Watering for 15 to 30 minutes a day should maintain optimal soil moisture
Foundation repair warranties may require homeowner maintenance to stay in force
Important takeaways
Maintaining consistent year-round moisture (not too dry, not too wet) in the soil around your foundation is the overall goal. Any one of the methods outlined here (the shrubbery scheme, a timed soaker hose, or hand watering) can be easily incorporated in your existing maintenance routine with minimal time and effort. The old saying “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” is especially true when it comes to protecting your investment in your home.
In this post, our focus has been mainly on protecting your foundation during the hot, dry days of summer, but it’s also important to stay vigilant for excess moisture as well. During a rainy spell, make sure to look around the perimeter of your house for pooling water that could seep into or under your foundation. Check to make sure that your gutters and downspouts are in good working order and that grading is intact and leading away from the house as it should.
If you run into any chronic issues that make you suspect you have foundation damage, give SouthernDry a call. We offer free estimates and specialize in anything-and-everything related to foundation repair. When it comes to foundation problems, you can count on SouthernDry. You local – Guardians of The Foundation!
Unwanted water is one of the top causes of basement and foundation trouble for homeowners in the Alabama area. There are several ways that water can seep into your basement or crawl space and weaken the structural elements of your home. If these conditions linger for any length of time, they may also lead to health issues for you and your family on top of the property risk.
There are a number of ways that unwanted water can enter your home. Natural causes like weather, soil conditions, ground water changes and geological pressure on the structural parts that support your home can be an early contributing factor.
These normal, external effects can be aggravated over time by variations in building materials and methods and maintenance issues. Left to themselves these additional factors can gradually make it easier for water to invade (and damage) your home.
Here are six of the most common reasons why moisture might be getting in:
From cracks in basement or crawl space walls
From leaky windows in the basement or crawl space
From underneath the footer
From over the footer
From cracks in the floor
From elevated levels of humidity leading to sweating walls
If you think one or a combination of these factors might be present in your home, it’s a good idea to have a qualified and reputable foundation specialist take a look. The mix of porous and water resistant soil types in Alabama make homes in the area especially susceptible to potential water leaks. Coastal plain conditions across Alabama extend many miles inland.
Signs that you may have water problems underneath your house
Fortunately, water leaves traces even after it recedes. Here are some of the trouble signs that Alabama area homeowners should watch for. The longer you wait, the more damage can spread and worsen, leaving you exposed to unnecessarily high repair costs.
Obvious standing or flowing water in and around foundations and basement walls
New or unusual stains or discoloration on interior basement walls and floors
Musty odors or visible mold or mildew, especially where walls and floors meet
Moisture or condensation around basement doors or windows during wet weather
Expanding cracks or separations in concrete or masonry
Elevated levels of humidity inside the home
Conditions like these could eventually lead to bowed basement walls or a general weakening of your foundation’s load-bearing capacity. Chances are that if you catch them early, repairs can be simple and affordable, but these issues never go away by themselves.
What to do if you suspect new or worsening basement or crawl space water issues
Super Duck Pump with battery backup system from SouthernDry
If you’re not doing it already, consider setting up a regular routine to visually inspect potential entry points of unwanted water – inside and outside your home. This doesn’t have to be a lengthy or complicated process, and you can combine it with your regular upkeep projects.
When you notice any suspicious changes, don’t wait. Contact a basement and foundation repair expert. The good ones will give you a no-cost, no-obligation assessment and let you know what your options are. They may recommend a few things you can do inexpensively for yourself, or recommend other corrective measures that work best for your home and budget.
Repair options may start with basic waterproofing steps to make sure that potential points of entry are properly sealed. For higher volumes of water, you might need to make some interior or exterior drainage improvements to draw water out and away from the house.
If your home is located in a higher risk area, or if you’re seeing frequent water intrusion beyond the normal weather changes that most homeowners experience, waterproofing is a remedy you may want to consider. This may include complete waterproofing treatment, plus an engineered lining that completely protects the basement or crawl space from outside moisture. Available dehumidification equipment can help resolve chronic air quality and humidity problems.
How to find the right help to waterproof your crawl space or basement
In regions like Alabama, basement and foundation repair companies of all sizes, (and from across the entire price, quality, and customer experience spectrum) will press you to get your business. Choose the low bidder, and you might end up with quality or service problems that offset any cost savings. With the biggest company, you risk becoming just another customer number.
SouthernDry is foundation repair company first, and we excel at basement and crawl space waterproofing and encapsulation services. The only reason we’re in business is to ensure decades of worry-free living in your home. We do that by offering you transparent, competitive pricing, and by staffing your job with people who care personally about delivering great work and great value.
With SouthernDry, you get one-on-one attention from first estimate to final repair. We’ll answer your questions, make the recommendations that are in your best interests and stand by you until the job is done to your satisfaction. In the unlikely event that something’s out of order, we’ll come back promptly and make it right. Homeowners like you choose us over the big box companies because we’re relentless about quality.
Is the air your breathing causing you harm? Many Americans are in danger of suffering lasting health effects because of the air in their homes. This is because the indoor air quality of their homes is actually quite poor. Considering that most people spend 90 percent of their time inside buildings, the state of the indoor air qualityof these buildings is important.
There are various toxins in air including airborne particles, ozone, carbon dioxide, formaldehyde as well as odors and various gases. These pollutants come from cleaning products, paint and solvent fumes, building materials, furnishings and other household items.
Health effects of poor indoor air quality
Air pollutants can have lasting effects on our health. Poor air quality can cause:
1. Weight gain
Are you eating healthy and still packing on pounds? Is calorie counting not working for you? Your fluctuations in weight could be the result of indoor air pollution. When our bodies’ natural pathways are overloaded with toxins, our bodies react by gaining weight.
2. Asthma
According to the World Health Organization, up to 30 percent of respiratory diseases are caused by exposure to poor indoor air. This is understandable, because we are exposed to these toxic agents every day just by inhaling the air where it exists in many areas of our homes, from the kitchen to the basement. You can protect your household by ensuring that the air in your home is free of pollutants and disease causing agents by investing in a quality indoor air purifier.
3. Depression
While depression is often associated with genetics or events in a person’s life, it can also be the result of toxins in the air. Studies have shown a correlation between long term exposure to toxins in the air and depression. You can reduce the severity of your depression by getting rid of the pollutants in the air.
4. Allergies
More people in America suffer from allergies today than in the past. One of the main reasons for this is the higher levels of toxins in indoor air. These pollutants trigger allergic reactions such as sneezing, headaches, skin rashes, swelling, fatigue and a runny nose.
Getting rid of these allergens will help to protect your household from developing allergies.
Ensuring clean indoor air
While you may rely on your HVAC to filter out particulates in the air, it is not adequate for getting rid of gases as well as microscopic agents. It is best to invest in a system that will help to cycle air in your home to ensure fresh air in the house.
Are you in need of crawl space waterproofing services? Many owners of homes with crawlspaces are not aware that they need these services until the damage to their homes is extensive. Identifying moisture issues in your crawl space is a great way to ensure that you can catch moisture problems early. Regular crawl space inspections will help you identify these issues.
The following are some ways that crawl space inspections can help.
It will ensure that your crawl space remains clean and dry
The crawl space is not a space that is frequently explored by the residents of any home. Moisture problems in these spaces are therefore likely to go without notice. They are often noticed when the problem is in advanced stages.
Regular inspections can help to identify moisture problems in the early stages of development. A professional can identify the subtle and less obvious signs of a moisture problem and help you seek solutions. This ensures that the crawl space remains clean and dry.
It will help you find out the true reason behind the tilting floor
There are many reasons why homes develop tilting floors. Sagging floors can be hazardous. They can cause people to trip and fall. Severely weakened floors can even result in people or furniture tumbling right through them.
One of the most common causes of tilting floors in homes with crawl spaces is moisture problems in the crawl space. An inspection of the space can help you determine whether this is the case in your home. This ensures that you can apply an efficient solution.
It will help you determine the cause of the cracking dry wall or plaster
Are you struggling with repeatedly repairing cracking of plaster or dry wall in your home? The solution to your problem may be in your crawl pace. An inspection of your crawl space may reveal problems such as the shifting of the soil beneath the home. This may be causing your walls to shift and the dry wall or plaster to crack.
It will help to reveal termite infestations
A termite problem can result in damage to the structure of your home. These insects have a preference for damp and rotting timber. It therefore won’t help to perform a termite treatment if you have an underlying water problem. An inspection will not only reveal the infestation but also the water problem. This will ensure you invest in crawl space waterproofing to help prevent a repeat infestation.
CONTACT SOUTHERNDRY TODAY TO SCHEDULE A FREE CONSULTATION! 205-719-2544
