The crawl space is a convenient area where water and sewer lines are tucked away and protected from the elements. Unfortunately, the location of these lines also makes it harder to see when there is a water-related issue. Not to mention, if there is flooding in your area, it will affect the crawl space and all components under the house before it will get to anything else. Water damage in the crawl space is easy to ignore, but it never should be ignored. 

It is easy to assume that water damage under the house doesn't matter. 

If water damage is tucked away under the house where no one will really ever see it, it is easy to assume that it is not that big of a deal. But water damage to the underbelly of the house is actually going to compromise the soundness of the entire structure. For example, if floor joists have begun to rot on the edges because they were exposed to water for long periods of time, this will weaken your floors inside the house and possibly put undue stress on the foundational support system. If you know the damage is present, it is always best to get it taken care of as soon as possible to protect your home from secondary damage. 

Water damage repair in a tight crawl space can be more expensive to repair. 

If the crawl space you have under your home is very shallow, it can mean that making repairs in this space can be more time-consuming and harder to complete. It is not at all uncommon for access points to have to be created from the house inside just to get to the damage. Of course, this kind of requirement is going to mean the job will take longer to do and there will be a higher expense involved in the repair. 

Many homeowners assume the space will dry and all will be fine. 

The crawl space should stay mostly dry. However, this area is blocked from sunlight and does not provide much in the way of ventilation. Therefore, when there is moisture down there underneath your home and water damage from a prior leak, the problem can actually be exacerbated by the fact that it will not dry out quickly. Eventually, the crawl space may dry, but the prior damage done to the foundation and components could stay damp for a long while and this leaves room for major damage. 

For more information, contact a water damage restoration company.

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