Winter's Effect On Your Home: Crawl Space

September 9th, 2019 by Kinsey Price

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Winter's Effect on Your Home's Crawl Space

Frozen/Busted Pipes

The first issue is that frozen pipes can create an inability to access running water, which impedes homeowners' ability to do everyday tasks such as taking a shower or doing the laundry. The second biggest problem that can occur when a pipes freeze is that the pipe may actually burst. When water inside the pipe freezes, pressure is created between the closed faucet and the blockage can build up to the point where the pipe will explode.

There are some areas where your pipes are more likely to freeze and burst than others. Southern climates rarely see cold temperatures so when the temperature does drop, your home's pipes are much more vulnerable to freezing. This is caused by the lack of insulation around the pipes. Since these areas rarely see temperatures around 32 degrees Fahrenheit, water pipes are more likely to be located in areas of the property which are not properly insulated against the cold.

Areas of your home where pipes may freeze due to inadequate insulation include:

Pipes located along the exterior walls of a home are vulnerable to freezing;
Pipes that are located in attics, basements, or crawl spaces may not receive the same amount of heat as the rest of the property, especially if they aren't living spaces.

Prevent frozen and burst sump pumps pipes with IceGuard Discharge Line Protection.

Critters Nesting in Insulation

During the winter, the cute woodland critters come closer to the warmth and, sometimes, end up nesting in your crawl space. They're not so cute anymore, now they're annoying and dirty unwanted lodgers. These rodents carry diseases in their droppings and can wreak havoc on your crawl space. The main places they will nest is in the insulation beneath the floor joists of the crawl space's ceiling.

Wood Rot on Joists

Crawlspace

To have wood rot, four conditions must be met (they can exist in cold or warm weather) -- wood, oxygen, warmth, and moisture. Wood rot is caused by a type of fungus that feeds on the warm, damp wood. It can lead to serious damage to your home, including a higher risk for fires.

The most effective way to get rid of wood rot and unwanted critters for good is to dehumidify and encapsulate your crawl space.

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