We're into some beautiful weather here in the SC Coastal Region! Spring flowers are in full bloom, the trees are filled with leaves again, area golf courses are looking gorgeous, and I'm having to mow down those fast growing weeds in my front yard with alarming regularity! This has also been a very active season for pollen with no end in sight - at least not in the near future. The warming weather outside at this time of the year also brings with it an increase in humidity, and that means elevated moisture levels once again in those crawl spaces beneath our homes. I won't bore you with the science, but rest assured that if you have a vented crawl space in our region of the country it is now likely getting damper, and this means a bloom of another kind down there in the form of molds and fungi. Here's some pics of nature's other Spring colors that we've recently observed beneath area houses...
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Given the naturally occurring bottom-to-top flow of air in a structure, one can rest assured that some of the air inside our homes - as much as 50% - has made its way upstairs from the crawl space. Since many of the spores that cause this colorful growth in the dark, damp underbellies of area homes are themselves allergens, before y'all go locking yourselves indoors to avoid the pollen outside it might be a good idea to know exactly what you're breathing in there. Beyond indoor air quality concerns, it's also important to note that some of these molds and other fungi found in crawl spaces can and do eat away at the wood joists and subfloor, thereby posing a threat to the structural integrity of a home over time.
For your own peace of mind, at the very least you ought to know what may be blooming under your home, whether or not it needs to be addressed, and if so what your options are in that regard. Crawl space work is never high on a homeowner's priority list, but a fresh, mold- and moisture-resistant crawl space will be highly supportive of a healthy environment where we can enjoy for years to come those more desirable home improvements that we can actually see and touch!
For your own peace of mind, at the very least you ought to know what may be blooming under your home, whether or not it needs to be addressed, and if so what your options are in that regard. Crawl space work is never high on a homeowner's priority list, but a fresh, mold- and moisture-resistant crawl space will be highly supportive of a healthy environment where we can enjoy for years to come those more desirable home improvements that we can actually see and touch!
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