Rain showers are moving through the Metro Atlanta area today, with some of the rain falling rather heavily at times through the evening hours.
Track the rain showers with our Interactive Radar below:
As much as 0.75 inch to 1 inch of rainfall is possible through Wednesday morning, though locally higher amounts are possible if a location receives multiple rounds of heavy downpours.
Rain is certainly beneficial, since it helps mitigate the developing drought situation in Metro Atlanta and North Georgia. However, too much rain all at once can cause flooding issues in our homes, particularly in the crawlspace.
After the rain moves out, you may want to take a look at the crawlspace to see if any rainwater continues to pool in the area.
I spoke with John Harman of American Crawlspace Solutions to learn more about what I should be keeping an eye out for when inspecting the area.
Q: What are some of the hazards a homeowner may need to be aware of if they wanted to go into the crawlspace themselves?
“Two things come to mind: Customers will ask us about snakes and spiders. And they’re there, sometimes, but not nearly as frequent as you might think.”
“But I would say the things you would need to look for are water and mold. Those are the things that can cause more damage.”
“If there’s a snake, it can be removed pretty easily, maybe even for free.”
“But if there’s a lot of water or even mold under your house, that’s a bigger deal. So those are the things I would look for.”
Q: Why is water a bigger deal?
“Water is the number one enemy of your home. It can cause a lot of other problems. It can lead to odors, mold, it can even weaken the structure of your house underneath and create sagging floors. So it’s a bigger deal than what you may realize.”
Q: If mold is in the crawlspace, what does that lead to?
“It can lead to medical problems for certain individuals -- that doesn’t mean it will cause problems for everybody. But there are legitimately people out there who have sensitivities to that.”
“No one is going to want mold under their house -- everyone’s going to want to remove that from their house. But it can create some health hazards, so you should definitely call a professional if you have that.”
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Q: Is mold something that I, a general lay person, will be able to spot and identify myself? Is there a tell-tale sign, or should I get a professional to test it?
“I would say you need to get a professional to come out and at least do a visual test. A lab test may or may not be necessary, depending on your sensitivity to it. If you have a specific sensitivity to the mold, maybe a lab test may be in order. But for most people, a general visual test would be sufficient for it.”