Why Does My Crawl Space Smell?

 

A crawl space is often a forgotten and neglected part of the home. People may not check for odors in their crawl space because they believe that it doesn't get dirty or wet like other parts of the house. However, this is not the case! This area of your home is often more vulnerable to animals, mold, and more. Here are just a few reasons why you might be noticing a smell coming from your crawl space.

Unwanted Critters

Many things can cause a crawl space to smell, but one of the most common reasons is because animals have taken up residence there. In order to keep your home smelling fresh, it's essential to get rid of any unwanted critters in the crawl space before they move into other areas of your house!

Mold and Mildew

There's one thing that crawl spaces are not good at—staying dry. Moisture will always try to make its way into these closed-off sections of your house through leaking pipes or areas that aren't correctly sealed. This will eventually lead to a build-up of mold and mildew, dangerous bacterial growth that is harmful to breathe in and has a nasty odor if it gets bad enough!

Sewage Backup

There are two ways sewage can get into your crawl space—either from a drain pipe leak or a sewage system backup. Either way, of course, this will make a huge mess and cause quite the stink for your home! It can make you sick, induce mold and bacteria growth, and create structural damage.

So remember to give us a call once you first notice any strange smell coming from your crawl space!

Contact Us Today For All Your Crawl Space Cleaning Needs

Cleaning and taking care of your home can be a challenge, and it is often best to bring in some professionals to help. Contact GreenPro Cleaning and Restoration to take care of your crawl space damage and cleaning needs.

Top Sources of Crawl Space Odors

Do you have a strange, unpleasant odor permeating through your home that you just can’t put a finger on? If your house was built atop a crawl space, that could be the source of the scent. There’s a lot of smelly stuff that could cultivate underneath your floorboards; here are some of the most common examples that we see:

Pests and their droppings

Small animals that currently live (or previously lived) in your crawl space are one of the most common sources of bad odors. Rodents, especially mice and rats, are known to infest crawl spaces and leave behind their droppings and – even worse – their carcasses.

High Humidity

We know that high humidity can make us feel uncomfortable, but it can also generate some pretty foul odors. Crawl spaces are notorious for having humidity problems, which can lead to a stale, stagnant smell that infiltrates your entire home.

Mold

Mold can grow wherever excess moisture is present, making crawl spaces a prime location. Mold not only produces a mildewy scent on its own, it can causes the wooden joists in your crawl space to decay, further adding to the smell.

Soil

If you do not have a vapor barrier installed in your crawl space, the smell could be coming from the ground itself. Soil is filled with all kinds of organic material, which can decompose over time and release odors.

Is your crawl space radiating unpleasant odors throughout your home? The crawl space cleaning experts at GreenPro Cleaning & Restoration can remove the source of the stench and leave your home smelling fresh. If you live on Long Island, call us today for a free estimate at (631) 940-8100.