If you have a crawl space, chances are you don’t think about it much. However, especially if you have a wholly unencapsulated dirt crawl space, you should probably think about giving your crawl space an upgrade. Are you not convinced of the need for a crawl space upgrade? You might change your mind after reading about these 15 creepy things that might be in your crawl space.
Animals
Animals are great at hiding in whatever tiny spaces they can possibly inhabit. That’s exactly why they’re so worrying when they do make it into your crawl space. You can find a wide variety of animals in your crawl space, including:
1. Rat and Bug Infestations
2. Snakes
3. Wild Animal Homes
4. Bones
None of these are particularly pleasant, and many of them run the risk of luring larger predators under your home. If you encapsulate your home’s crawl space, you’re more likely to avoid animals in your crawl space.
Plants
Plants can hide under your crawl space as well, and it can be a pretty significant problem. Some of these plants can lend themselves to health problems, while others can lend themselves to construction problems instead:
5. Mold
6. Invasive Plant Species
Mold is itself a pretty serious health hazard, even so-called “non-toxic” mold. Invasive plant species might not directly cause health problems, but they can grow under your foundation and dislodge your home, making them a formidable enemy.
Crime
Every so often, someone discovers a criminal item under their home. This can be a serious problem, especially people who have never been involved in criminal activity before. These are a few of the scariest things people have actually found under their homes:
7. Mysterious Locked Cabinet
8. Mob Cash
9. Guns
10. Fugitives and Hideaways
Obviously, this is much more common if you’ve become involved in criminal activities. However, even people without a history of criminal problems have discovered these problems in untouched crawl spaces.
Historical
The history of the place in which you live is an important part of understanding your past. However, sometimes you don’t want to know that history. That’s especially true if your home’s hiding one of these creepy secrets:
11. Unexploded Artillery
12. Disturbing Journals
Whether you’re worried that you’re at risk of getting blown up or just at risk of learning something creepy about a past homeowner’s misdeeds, checking for these things can help you avoid that unpleasant shock.
Paranormal
If you believe in ghosts, you might believe that your crawl space could be a home for ghosts. Especially if you don’t have any protection under your home, these ghosts may cause problems. You could have a few different types of ghosts under your home, including:
13. Ghosts
14. Large Ghouls
Even though ghosts may cause certain structural-looking problems, according to some ghost experts, it’s never a bad idea to check in with a contractor before you consult an exorcist. That way, you know you’re not dealing with a plain old “normal” problem.
Structural
People who have never taken a look into their crawl spaces probably don’t know whether or not they have structural issues. That’s unfortunate, because structural issues are a significant factor in other serious home issues.
15. Foundation Problems
When you have foundation problems, it affects literally every other part of your home. Unattended foundation problems can lead to a fully collapsed house, worst-case scenario. Handling your structural issues early can avoid foundational concerns later.
Can You Really Renovate a Crawl Space?
Chances are, you don’t go into your crawl space very often. That might make the concept of a crawl space “renovation” feel a little confusing. However, the fact is that you don’t need to make it up like a living room to renovate your crawl space and make it a little safer. All you really need to do is have a contractor look at your crawl space, make sure you don’t have any glaring problems, and help you fix it up.