Why Does My Crawl Space Have A Strange Odor?

Crawl spaces are areas of the home that aren’t visited very often. A homeowner may slip into a crawlspace to retrieve holiday decorations, to access storage, to inspect a strange sound, or to inspect a strange odor.

While using your eyes is a great idea when it comes to determining if something “off” in your home, using your nose is sometimes even better. Sewage exposure and mold growth can often be smelled even before they’re seen.

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Detecting an odor coming from your crawl space is always reason to call the professionals for an inspection.

A few reasons why your crawl space may be emitting an off odor are:

Sewage backups

When clogs reach your main sewer line, wastewater can no longer go down so it backs up. Eventually this turns into an overflow, which you may find the results of in your basement, your yard, coming up from drains or toilets, or in your crawlspace. Sewage backup into your crawlspace can send toxic fumes throughout your home and should be cleaned by a professional emergency cleanup team as soon as possible.

Water accumulation in the crawlspace

Surface water leakage and leaky pipes may also send “dirty” water seeping into your crawlspace. This can cause a musty wastewater odor as well as mold growth odors. When water accumulation has been detected in a crawl space, it is recommended to call in a professional mold inspection team to determine the extent of the damage and if mold is present or likely to become present.

Decay of wood piers

If wood piers are present in your crawlspace, these piers may begin to decay with time. Decaying wood is often due to repeated exposure to moisture and may include mold or fungal growth as well. When mold is present on decaying piers, spores can easily travel in the air to spread to other parts of the home.

High humidity in the home

For indoor crawl spaces, like those found in basements, the humidity present in your home can create odors in your crawlspace. In crawl space areas the air is not able to move freely, leading to a stagnant humid environment. This creates the perfect environment for mold to grow, and will need to be remediated in order to get a healthy and clean crawlspace back.

Restoring Your Crawlspace

Restoration of your crawl space begins with determining exactly what the problem may be. If water damage, mold growth, decay, or humid air is suspected, a first step should be a mold or remediation inspection.

After your inspection, a plan will be laid out to clean the space, the restoration professionals at McCarthy Contractors will get to the root of the problem, and they’ll restore your crawlspace back to its safe and healthy state once again.

Many homeowners don’t realize a problem may be lurking in their crawlspace until it has developed in to a much bigger one, but no matter the extent of the issue, a professional team can work to get your home back in good standing.