What's Causing My Crawl Space Joists to Rot?
Why Are My Crawl Space Joists Starting to Rot?
You're checking out your crawl space, and you look up, only to find some discoloration- maybe white spots, damp spots, or dark stains. These are troubling signs that your wooden crawl space joists are in the early stages of weakening.
Here's why it's important to get ahead of weakening floor joists, what might be causing them to deteriorate, and solutions to getting them fixed.
What Are Crawl Space Joists and Why Are They Important to My Home?
Your crawl space joists, or floor joists, are the horizontal structural beams underneath your floors. They live between the larger support beams and foundation walls, supporting the floor load and anything sitting or moving on your floors, including you!
Crawl space joists are important because without strong, functional floor joists, your floors will become unstable. This keeps your upper levels stable and secure, capable of supporting your furniture and family. If your joists are showing signs of rot, it's time to get a professional inspection to get ahead of any costly structural issues.
What Causes My Crawl Space Joists To Rot?
Moisture leads to crawl space joist rotting. Even the smallest amount of water in a crawl space over time can lead to wood rot. Organic elements, like wood, are the most susceptible to rotting since water and moisture are absorbed directly.
As water and moisture continue to live in a crawl space untouched, humidity levels rise, and condensation builds, allowing for microbial growth that breaks down and softens the wood material.
You may notice your crawl space joists beginning to rot if you see:
- Wood discoloration
- Microbial growth or mold
- Softening wood
- Flakes or crumbles
- Cracks
- Sagging or bowing
What Are The Warning Signs My Crawl Space Has a Moisture Problem?
Moisture in your crawl space can come from many sources. You'll know you have a moisture problem if you look in and around your crawl space and find any of the following:
- Water wall seepage
- Standing water
- Condensation
- High humidity in the air
- Poor drainage around the foundation, often due to clogged gutters, short downspouts, or poor grading
- Flood or leaking incidents
- Pests like termites or carpenter ants may indicate there is water somewhere
- Energy bills are going up without an explanation
What Happens If the Rotting Joists Aren't Fixed?
Without repair, the rotting joists will continue to break down and weaken. This can lead to a host of problems that impact the structural stability of your home. We see this every day as we work on understructure and foundation projects.
Without taking care of the moisture problem, you may notice your floors becoming unlevel and causing your family to trip. Other structural components in the crawl space may be impacted, like the main support beam, rim joists, or subflooring. Mold can spread throughout the home, not just the crawl space, becoming a health hazard. You may notice more pest infestations, like termites. Together, these problems become costly to address and lower your home's value.
The rot isn't the source of the problem; the moisture is. Both need to be addressed.
How Does Alford Address Rotting Joists in a Crawl Space?
Alford Foundation & Crawl Space Repair handles rotting crawl space joists by addressing the moisture at the source. We know that if you've found wood rot, you've already got a moisture problem, and with that comes mold and health concerns like allergies and asthma. We don't want you and your family to deal with that.
- First, we fix the groundwater leakage. We find the standing water, leak, or seepage that's in your crawl space and install proper drainage and a sump pump if necessary; water is redirected away from your foundation.
- Second, we completely seal your crawl space with a vapor barrier. This is where we completely protect your crawl space from moisture, while brightening and cleaning it up. It's also the step we add wall insulation to save energy and reflect heat.
- Third, we seal your crawl space from the inside out, preventing the humid outside air from getting in.
- Lastly, we use a powerful dehumidifier to keep the crawl space dry at all times without any action required of you.
Altogether, these steps protect your structural elements from moisture, including your crawl space joists.
Here's an example of a home our crew worked on in Mount Lookout, WV. Give us a call for a free inspection of your crawl space joists if you suspect you have a moisture and rot problem!
