The crawl space of your home has a huge impact not only on the quality of life in the home itself, but the health of the infrastructure of the home. We need to do all we can to maintain proper conditions down there, and your crawl space door is the first line of defense.
The fact that many people don’t spend a lot of time in their crawl space makes it easy to overlook the crawl space door. It can seem like an unimportant aspect of a larger system. Or it might not cross your mind at all.
However, properly securing the entrance to your crawl space is incredibly important and an important part of crawl space remediation.
Here are the benefits you can expect from installing a new crawl space door replacement:
- Keeps Out Critters
- Stops the Rain
- Protects From the Weather
- Saves You Money
- Allows Necessary Access
- Helps Stabilize Crawl Space Environment
Keeps Out Critters
One of the most obvious things a door does is to keep things out. There are a variety of critters that would love to make a nice little home in your crawl space — raccoons, skunks, possums, mice, and more.
This creates a big mess and is a major hassle to correct. Not only is this unsanitary, but these creatures can do major damage to the underside of your house.
Stops the Rain
Moisture is a major enemy to crawl spaces. And you don’t want a flowing stream to funnel into your crawl space during heavy rain. This is a great way to bring humidity up to dangerous levels which threatens your quality of air as well as the wood underneath your home.
A solid door acts as a wall to keep this moisture out.
Protects From the Weather
Changing temperatures are just as much of a threat to your quality of life as the negative effects of rainwater in your crawl space. Imagine leaving a window open all winter. That’s essentially what you’re doing by leaving your crawl space entrance uncovered.
A crawl space door will insulate your crawl space. This helps to maintain a steady temperature in your home.
Learn more about crawl space door replacements!
Saves You Money
Steady temperatures mean your air conditioning and heating system doesn’t have to work as hard. Saving money on these utilities adds up over time.
But that’s not the only way a crawl space door replacement can save you money. Changing temperatures, moisture, and critters can lead to costly repairs. Save yourself the hassle — along with the money — by employing a well-built crawl space door replacement.
Allows Necessary Access
You might be tempted to simply seal the whole thing up, but you need to be able to access your crawl space. Plumbing, heating ducts, and possibly even your water heater will be located in your crawl space.
Any repairs are going to necessitate access to the crawl space. A secure door acts much like it would if it were sealed up, while still allowing necessary access.
Signs You Need a Crawl Space Door Replacement
Simply having a door isn’t good enough. A door that is in poor condition isn’t going to provide the benefits you need. Here are a few things to look out for that will let you know it’s time to look into a crawl space door replacement.
It’s Not Tight
Any open seams around your crawl space door are going to negate any benefits. Cool air in the winter and warm air in the summer will leak in. Water can seep through any small holes or seams. The best way to tell if your door is secure is to crawl inside when the sun’s out and close it. Can you see light coming through? If so, it’s time to find a crawl space door replacement.
It Doesn’t Lock
Simply closing isn’t going to create the seal you need. Also, it’s not going to protect your home from critters. Raccoons and such are able to open unlocked doors, and then you’ll have a real problem on your hands. Be sure your door is able to securely close.
It’s Rotting
Many crawl space doors are made out of plywood because it’s cheap and easy to cut to size. However, these doors don’t age well. A plywood door full of wood rot isn’t secure.
There’s Evidence of Water
And even if everything seems secure, water has the tendency to find a way through. Do you see the remains of dried puddles just inside your crawl space door? This can be evidence of a compromised door.