How to Clean a Wet Acworth Crawl Space

Why You Should Clean a Wet Acworth Crawl Space

A damp or wet Acworth crawl space can lead to many problems in the home. You may experience insect infestations, growth of mold on the walls, contamination of your insulation, rotting of floor joists and sills and crawl space. Fixing these problems when they develop can be difficult. It is therefore important to clean your wet crawl space as soon as you realize you have a problem.

Step by Step Cleaning Guide

Step 1: Inspection

The first step to cleaning a wet crawl space is inspection. You need to identify where the water is coming from. There is no point cleaning the crawl space if it will get wet all over again. You need to ensure that you stop excess moisture from entering the crawl space.

Water in a crawl space can result from a number of sources including leaking pipes and damaged sewer lines. Water leaves telltale signs of where it has come from such as stains or marks. Visual inspection of the crawl space will reveal these signs.

It is also important to look for any signs of damage to your foundation. This may be in the form of cracks around doors or windows.

Step 2: Fix it

Before you begin cleaning the crawl space, it is important to ensure that the space will not become wet again in the future. You should ensure that the problem causing the space to be wet is fixed e.g. call a plumber if your pipes are leaking.

You should also try to identify any other areas that need to be addressed that may be encouraging the space to be wet. These may include lack of rain gutters or gutters that have down facing spouts. Water is therefore not carried away from the building allowing for moisture to build up in the crawl space.

Step 3: Ventilate

The next step is to ventilate the crawl space. This allows the area to dry out before the cleaning. Remove any items or debris that you store in the crawl space. These items could hold moisture and may already be affected by mold or mildew. Remove any insulation in the space especially if it is fiberglass insulation. This type of insulation is easily affected by mold and may already have mold or mildew on the inside.

It is important to wear proper protective equipment when doing this. Protective equipment such as a mask or a respirator will protect your lungs from exposure to dust or mold from rodent droppings.

Step 4: Cleaning

Remove any visible mold or mildew in the space. Replace insulation in the crawl space that shows any signs of water damage. Remove anything that may hold moisture in your Acworth crawl space.

Step 5: Keep the moisture out

Try to keep moisture out of your Acworth crawl space. You can invest in a sump pump if you live in an area with a high water table or a dehumidifier to keep moisture levels down.