Crawl spaces
are like mini basements. Many of the same things that need inspecting
in a basement are also found in crawl spaces. Foundation and framing
support must be evaluated. Plumbing and electric often pass through
crawl spaces. Even heating systems and oil tanks are sometimes found
in a crawl space, all of which need to be evaluated to the best degree the
crawl space is accessible. There are however, other aspects to crawl
spaces that need to be evaluated. One of which is ventilation.
The crawl
space above is older than the one to the right. It is in good
condition because there is adequate ventilation to prevent moisture damage.
It could be improved by a vapor barrier which would keep ground moisture in
the ground.
The crawl
space above is less than 30 years old. There was no provision for
ventilation and this has caused such moisture damage to the structure that
the dwelling space above is no longer safe to live in.
