Although your crawl space is located under your home, any water or structural damages that are within your crawl space can have a serious influence on the inside of your home. Almost 50% or more of the air that you breathe inside your home originates from the air inside your crawl space, so the quality of your crawl space will be reflected inside your house. Therefore, any odors or particles that are circulating in your crawl space are most likely inside of your home as well. Some of the notable warning signs that your crawl space needs repairs are unpleasant odors, increased humidity, increased allergies or asthmatic reactions, and increased energy bills.
What causes this to happen is known as the stack effect, a phenomenon that describes the movement of air within a home based on relative air pressures. Air typically moves from areas that have high air pressure to areas with low air pressures. This means that air will move from the bottom of your house to the top. You can start to see how the condition of your crawl space air begins to play a critical role in your home’s air quality.
Since Orlando, FL, is characterized by a hot and humid climate, this hot and humid air from the outside is likely to rise into your home. This can increase the inside temperatures, which may result in you reaching for your air conditioning unit more often. Over time, your energy bills can start to add up. The hot and humid climate is not ideal for your crawl space condition as well since it is likely to encourage the growth of mold and mildew. These are just some of the particles that can be within your crawl space that you do not want in your home.