You may not think much about the crawl space in your Florida home or other buildings, but it forms a vital part of your home’s overall structural system. Hidden damage can occur before any signs are evident. Beryl Project Engineering offers structural design in Tampa for sagging crawl spaces under your residential property.
Signs of Structural Problems with Your Tampa Crawl Space
Few homeowners give much thought to the crawl space underneath their home or other residential building. These spaces are much smaller than a full-sized basement and only provide adequate space for necessary piping, ductwork, wiring and other components essential to providing the building with utility services.
Damage can occur from a variety of sources and begin eroding or weakening the crucial structural components of your property. Some common signs that your crawl space has structural problems include:
- Sinking or sagging floors
- Doors that will not operate properly
- Visible cracks in interior drywall, especially at joints
- Damp odors emanating from the crawl space
- Mice or other pest infestations
Undetected and/or unresolved crawl space structural problems can result in serious damage to your building, including complete collapse. Beryl engineers offer professional and experienced structural design in Tampa that includes inspection of your crawl space and a superior design for solutions to any problems we discover.
Common Causes of Crawl Space Problems
Florida crawl spaces often experience some similar problems because of our warmer climate, specific soil types and high water table. The most common causes of crawl space structural problems are briefly described below.
Mold & Moisture Damage
High humidity and frequent storms make moisture damage a significant risk for wooden crawl space components. Standing water underneath your residential building can become a breeding ground for mold and mildew that will rot through wooden floor joists and other support beams.
Pest Infestations
Destructive pests love the dark, moist and warm environment provided by crawl spaces. Termites, carpenter ants and wood-destroying beetles particularly create a significant risk of damage to the wooden structures underneath your home. A pest infestation can cause incredible damage in a short period of time. There could be weakened or compromised support structures underneath your home, pool house, storage building or guest house before you are aware of any pest problems.
Crawl Space Support Issues
Your building rests upon the exterior support walls and crawl space supports. Problems with these supports can cause damage and sagging floors. Sometimes too few supports are installed during construction and they are spaced too far apart for adequate support. Poor soil quality or erosion from improper drainage can cause crawl space supports to sink and allow your building to sag.
Quality Structural Design in Tampa Can Offer Solutions
Beryl Project Engineering offers quality structural design in Tampa that provides sound solutions when your crawl space is damaged. Our licensed engineers can assess the damage and causes and design solutions to preserve or restore the structural integrity of your home. Some common recommendations for repairing structural damage in crawl spaces include:
- Lifting the floor and adding blocks or shims for added support and leveling
- Shoring up the structure and replacing damaged wooden beams and other components
- Adding concrete support columns
- Adding light- or heavy-duty support jacks
- Adding soil or components to prevent soil erosion or breakdown
Beryl engineers have decades of practical experience with all manner of buildings and structures throughout Tampa, Florida, and can recommend the best solutions to restore integrity and safety to your home or other property. Contact us immediately when you detect signs that your crawl space may have sustained structural damage from pests, moisture or aging.
