Perhaps the single most important part of the home inspection is the basement. The basement can be a full headroom space or a crawl space. Under parts of some homes, there are crawl spaces that are inaccessible because of very low clearance or a lack of an access opening. Most home inspections start with the basement or crawl space. It is also here where we find a disproportionate number of problems in homes. It is in the basement and crawl space that we find most of the structural components, major elements of the plumbing and electrical systems, most central heating plants, and one of the main avenues into the home for water and moisture. Wet or moist basements and crawl spaces are one of the primary sources of moisture problems in structures and such moisture often results in damage to all areas of the home even the roofing!
Stored material in crawl spaces tends to reduce air circulation, trap moisture and be conducive to pest activity. Problems most often found in unfinished basements and accessible crawl spaces is condensation, mold, and fungus. Other types of problems found in floor structures is wood boring insect damage and rot which often develops in sills and joist ends adjacent to exterior decks and under exterior door sills.
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