Home Owner Maintenance Tip for Crawl Spaces

Crawl Space

Where a trench is dug for the foundations, and the earth under the house floor is not removed, a crawl space is created. It may have an earth floor, although a concrete slab is more desirable for storage and moisture control. Many codes call for crawl spaces to be thirty-six inches high where access must be gained, although many are less. Some are entirely inaccessible. Areas which do not have mechanical services require only a twelve inch clearance in many codes. This makes access for structural inspection and repair quite difficult.



Since they are hard to get into, and usually poorly lit, crawl spaces can be uninspected for long periods. Where moisture levels are high over the long term, structural damage due to rot and termite activity can go unnoticed for some time. Crawl spaces should have one square foot of venting for every 500 square feet of area. This is rarely provided. Heated crawl spaces in freezing climates should be vented in the summer only. The vents should be blocked off in the winter. Unheated crawl spaces should be vented year round. Crawl spaces with earth floors generally need venting more than those with concrete floors. It is acceptable to vent a heated crawl space by opening it into a basement. In this case, the crawl space can be vented year round.



Mike Crow


General Manager

TexInspec Home Inspection and Pest Control

email: clientcare@texinspec.com

phone: 817-265-5452 or 972-231-1945

web: www.TexInspec.com

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