Why do you have rotten wood in your crawlspace?
If you see rotting wood in any of the support beams and posts in your crawlspace, it most likely means that you have a moisture problem. Excess moisture in your crawlspace can be a major factor contributing to wood rot that leaves your crawlspace’s structural integrity compromised. Water seepage is common in crawlspaces, since they are located underneath the surface of the ground, often below or even with the water table. Water is just one of the main factors that causes crawlspace wood rot.
There are four main elements that need to be present in order for wood rot to occur:
- Wood
- Oxygen
- Warmth
- Moisture
When combined in your crawlspace, these conditions result in the growth of fungi, which is what causes your wood to rot. That is why mold and wood rot are problems that are often seen hand in hand in Alabama crawlspaces. Only once you get rid of the actual fungus can you stop wood rot from reoccurring. Removing moisture without actually getting rid of the already present fungus is not a permanent solution for rot.
Aside from removing all traces of the rot-causing fungus, the only one of the four essential conditions for rot that can be effectively controlled is moisture. That is why moisture control is the best way to get rid of rot in your crawlspace.
We Can Get Rid of Wood Rot in Your Crawlspace
The first step in fixing your crawlspace is to have a rotten wood repair company get rid of rotted wood to remove the fungus and make sure it does not spread. This can be done by removing rotted wooden crawlspace beams and support posts and replacing them with long-lasting solutions that will not result in more wood rot.
For this aspect of the repair process, we offer crawlspace piers, floor supports, and floor joist repair options. Crawlspace piers can replace rotted support post and are made of steel, ensuring that they will not suffer from wood rot. We use only high-quality floor supports to replace and repair crawlspace beams and to keep wood rot from coming back.
We also offer mold removal to take care of any mold or mildew that might have appeared in the crawlspace. Not only will this service, which utilizes a technique known as mold soda blasting, removes mold from surfaces in your crawlspace, it will also clean crawlspace surfaces to get rid of harmful organisms.
Moisture Control to Keep Wood Rot from Coming Back
The most important step in rotten wood repair is to make sure that it does not come back. This can be done by implementing moisture control systems around your home. We offer the following solutions for complete moisture control in your Alabama crawlspace:
- Surface Drainage: surface drainage involves various techniques used to prevent water from pooling in your yard. Water that is left to pool in your yard can slowly seep through the concrete foundation and into the crawlspace – keeping this water from doing so protects your crawlspace from wood rot.
- Exterior Waterproofing: exterior waterproofing options like French drains and waterproof foundation membranes keep water from seeping through foundation cracks or soaking into the porous concrete walls of your home’s foundation. This reduces the amount of water that can enter your home in the first place, lowering the chances of crawlspace moisture.
- Interior Waterproofing: If water does get in through your foundation, it is important to remove it right away to prevent high humidity and moisture levels in the crawlspace. The interior waterproofing system removes basement and crawlspace water, primarily, with the use of a sump pump system.
- Crawlspace Encapsulation: this is the most vital step in protecting your crawlspace from wood rot. In the encapsulation process, a plastic vapor barrier is installed all along interior crawlspace surfaces. This barrier prevents water from seeping through the crawlspace walls and keeps out water vapor to prevent moisture entry.
Because all of these solutions reduce the amount of moisture that is allowed to enter and remain in your crawlspace, they help prevent wood rot from occurring. Contact our professional waterproofing and crawlspace repair team today to get help repairing the rotten wood in your crawlspace and ensure that your home is structurally sound. We offer free estimates for crawlspace vapor barrier encapsulation, mold removal and more in the state of Alabama. We are your number one rotten wood repair company in nothern Alabama and southern Tennessee.