Blogs

Not every crawl space problem can be fixed with plastic and a dehumidifier. Sometimes, when you look under a house, you find serious structural issues - failing joists, rotted beams, subflooring that's beyond saving. That's when you need more than a typical crawl space company.

Want to know if your crawl space contractor actually cares about quality? Look at where they put your dehumidifier. I know that sounds too simple, but after 12 years in this business, I can tell you that this one detail says everything about a contractor's work ethic.

When I do inspections, I always explain the five sources of moisture in crawl spaces. Not because I want to confuse people with technical stuff, but because understanding where moisture comes from helps you make better decisions about your home.

I'm in Chattanooga today looking at two houses with the same problem - basement walls that are bowing out. This is exactly the kind of work I love doing. It's challenging, it requires real know-how, and when you get it right, you've solved a serious problem for a homeowner.

This morning, I drove to Lebanon, Tennessee to look at a crawl space. The homeowner had already gotten three quotes. All three companies told him the same thing: he needed foundation repair. The price tag? Somewhere between 12 and 14 thousand dollars.

I just left a crawl space job that made me angry. Not at the homeowners - at the so-called professional who took advantage of them. A handyman was paid $5,600 to remediate a crawl space and install a vapor barrier. The new buyers called me for a second opinion on the work. What I found was worse than I expected.

I'm going to start with something that might sound weird: I choose to spend time in my crawl space. Not because I have to for work, but because I want to. I do paperwork down there. I shoot videos. I've got a man cave set up with video games and a mini fridge. My dog Peta hangs out with me. And yes, I've even spent the

Most people planning a gut rehab start thinking about kitchens, bathrooms, and fresh paint. That's natural - those are the parts you see every day. But we just wrapped up a project in Murfreesboro that shows why the smartest renovators think differently.