What is A Crawl Space?
When touring homes, home buyers—and even homeowners—rarely consider what’s immediately underneath their feet, but they should, especially if they’re walking on top of a crawl space. If you’re looking for a house, you could come across that term in the listings. But what exactly is a crawl space, and what should you know about it?
The weight of the home is supported by footings and walls (either built of cinder blocks or poured concrete) in a crawl space. The walls may be up to 5 feet high, but the average crawl space is 1 to 3 feet high, requiring the homeowner to crawl to get about – hence the name.
Crawl spaces are also unfinished, allowing for simple access to plumbing, gas connections, ventilation, and wiring. Crawl spaces are usually used as storage for your outdoor items. Another great use of a crawl space is that it acts as a buffer between the water table and your floors. In a flood zone, flood water will fill the crawl space before reaching the house. It is advisable to not use the space as storage if you have mold, moisture, or pest infestation problems.
BENEFITS OF A CRAWL SPACE
Easier Access
The most significant benefit of a crawl space over a concrete slab foundation is that you have easy access to the systems like electrical, plumbing, gas connections, and ventilation. If you have a problem with these areas of your house, you or a contractor can crawl into the crawl space underneath the house to perform the required repairs.
Cost
Basements (finished or unfinished) provide homeowners with access to the aforementioned systems as well as greater usable space (something that 44 percent of real estate brokers claim their customers are looking for), but crawl spaces do not.
A crawl space will save you a good amount of money — and most basements aren’t included in a home’s square footage. A crawl space foundation will typically cost between $8,000 and $21,000, but a basement would cost between $18,000 and $30,000, depending on total square footage.
Versatility
Builders use crawl space foundations when a traditional basement is not feasible, like on a waterfront site or when the land is sloping. Crawl spaces are also the foundation of choice in locations where the land is prone to excessive wetness or termites.
Flexibility
Crawl space foundations may be more appropriate than concrete slab foundations in specific soil types, such as those where soil contracts and expands. Crawl space foundations are frequently more resistant to hydrostatic pressure in certain soil types than concrete slab foundations.
Storage
Again, due to the space underneath your home, you may store items that would otherwise take up room in your home.
Although crawl spaces are just 18 inches high on average, smaller objects can be stored there. In some ways, the crawl space is great for this; although a basement may be useful space that you would want to use with stuff other than storage, a crawl space is not area you would otherwise use.
Flooding
A crawl space also raises your house above ground level. If you live in a flood plain, an 18-inch increase might be the difference between a little inconvenience and a serious disaster.
Although you must ensure that your crawl area is clear of moisture, having your home raised by a few inches can provide you with peace of mind.
PROFESSIONAL CRAWL SPACE CLEAN UP
Your house is supposed to be a safe place for you and your family, but without regular attic and crawlspace care, unwanted visitors & pollutants may make their way inside. When you resolve these concerns as soon as possible, you may save thousands of dollars in damage and lost energy to your house, as well as saving yourself time waiting for repairs.
American Attic is here to help keep your attic & crawl space clean all the time, preventing costly damages in the future. Let’s make a clean and healthy atmosphere for yourself and your family. Schedule an appointment with us!