While your home's crawl space isn't something you often think about, it plays a crucial role in your home. It elevates your home off of the ground as well as provides space for the HVAC duct work to be hidden away. Unfortunately, the crawl space being out of sight may cause you to not realize that it needs professional waterproofing. Here are two signs that you may need it.

People Living In Your Home Have Respiratory Problems

One sign that the crawl space may need professional waterproofing is the health of the people living in your home. If you have noticed somebody developing a respiratory problem, it could be due to water in the crawlspace.

While it seems odd that water within a crawl space can cause respiratory problems, it's more likely than you think. As air within a crawl space becomes warm due to your ductwork, the hot air will rise up into your home. It eventually escapes through a chimney or draft somewhere in the home, but while it takes that path to exit the home the heat can take mold spores with it. The quality of your home's indoor air will be reduced because of the water found in the crawl space.

This problem will require waterproofing in your crawl space to stop moisture from getting into it.

You Have Standing Water In Your Crawl Space

An obvious sign is actually finding standing water within your crawlspace. You'll most likely notice the water immediately as soon as you look in the area. The water could be entering the crawl space from several places. This includes recent flooding in the area, even if it was caused by heavy rainfall. There will be one or several leaks somewhere that is allowing water to get into the crawl space, and they all need to be fixed to prevent the problem from happening again.

Speak to a local waterproofing contractor to find out how the problem will be fixed. Some common solutions include sump pumps to drain water that is rising up from below, plastic liners to encapsulate the area, french drains on the interior or exterior of the home, and extended downspouts.

You won't know what solution needs to be used until you receive a professional consultation. A waterproofing company can take a look at how the water is getting in and recommend a solution that will fix the problem for good. For more information, contact local professionals like those found at Stan Young Drainage.