What’s that smell? It could be decay caused by damp underfloor. Most of us give little thought to the crawl-spaces under our home, unless we’re presented with a reason to go down there. However poor underfloor ventilation can cause serious issues for your home – serious and expensive.
The Danger of Damp Underfloor
When there is moisture in the ground, that moisture can be drawn into the air under your home. The dangers occur when the air is not expelled because ventilation is poor. Then mould and mildew can begin to grow, and can be the cause of that smell.
Moisture can also attract termites as it begins to decay the normal, healthy timbers that form the foundational structure of your home. Even without the added damage caused by termites, mould, mildew and decaying timber can result in ill health.
Sub Floor Ventilation
Homes should be built with adequate subfloor ventilation, however this is not always the case. Or, over time, gardens have been built which block the venting designed to provide that air flow.
Where there is inadequate air flow, and therefore poor ventilation, the air flow may need to be forced using a professional underfloor fan.
How Sub Floor Ventilation Systems Work
The most basic sub floor ventilation are vents built in when the house is constructed. If ventilation is poor, a quick inspection of the vents can sometimes reveal why. Gardens may have been built up to cover the vents, the vents may have become blocked, or the vents may be inadequate in position or number.
However even vented passive ventilation may not be enough to keep the sub floor of your home from getting damp. The best solution is adequate ventilation coupled with a fan ventilation system.
Underfloor fans are positioned to draw off and externally exhaust damp air, using pumps and fans that are specially designed for this purpose. These are customised for your floor plan and the damp issues you face.
Professional systems have fans that are almost silent, run on a timer system and are cheap to run. They are an effective ventilation system for the average home.
The Benefits
Limits Mould Growth
Moulds need damp conditions to grow. When these are growing in the subfloor of your home they can cause health problems, such as triggering respiratory reactions in people. These can include sneezing, coughing, asthma, allergic reactions, wheezing and congestion.
Moulds pose a more serious risk if a persons immune system is weak.
Adequate sub floor ventilation that reduces the damp in the air under your home will limit any mould growth and create conditions that are unfavourable for mould growth.
Limit Structural Damage
A damp subfloor can lead to structural damage. The moisture in the air can start normally healthy timbers on a path to rot and decay.
Good ventilation helps to ensure the normal, healthy timbers used to build your home, stay strong and healthy, not decayed.
Termite Protection
Termites are common timber pests. They are attracted to damp conditions such as those caused by poor sub floor ventilation. The risk is increased where timbers have already started to rot or decay. That is termite heaven and householder hell.
Good sub floor ventilation, such as from a fan and extraction system, ensures your home is less susceptible to attack from termites.
Cost
The greatest benefit of all though has to be cost.
It is impossible to determine the long term cost of health issues – especially if we consider that allergies can have a significant impact upon children’s performance at school.
We do know that the cost of termite treatment and potential structural repair can be high and can be a huge burden to householders. This is especially true when insurance does not cover termite damage.
By comparison, the cost of good sub floor ventilation is minimal.
Can you afford to take the risk to your home and your health that poor sub floor ventilation can pose?
Get Help
The first step, if you are unsure whether you have a problem or not, and if you are on Sydney’s Northern Beaches, is to call our team at Everest Electrical to arrange an inspection.
After we visit your property we can offer some advice on what can be done to improve your current venting and also provide a quote to install a sub floor ventilation system.
Getting help to take advantage of the benefits of sub floor ventilation systems is only a phone call away. Call Everest on 0410 229 139.