Inspection of wooden floor and crawl space

Access via a hatch is necessary for the inspection of a wooden ground floor. If there is no or insufficient access, several elements, components, and/or sections of a crawl space will remain uninspected. Therefore, nothing can be said about the floors, the floor structure, the sewer system, the climate in the crawl space, and/or whether there is any asbestos present in the form of sewerage, waste, or similar materials. Full access to a crawl space is therefore essential. With insufficient or no access, you cannot inspect the foundation, sewer system, soil structure, or other unidentified structural features or defects below this floor level.

• Note: If you want to know anything about uninspected compartments in the crawl space, you must have a follow-up inspection performed or arrange one yourself. You can ask the seller to create access to the crawl space by installing one or more hatches.
• If the Homekeur inspector does not have access, anything that appears to be a defect at any time in the uninspected compartments or parts of the crawl space will be excluded from the building report .
• Crawlspace ventilation often inadequate! Read the blog
• Don't forget the crawl space during a viewing!

• It's advisable to inspect the floor boarding and joists from the crawl space behind the insulation every two years, for example, in one or more places. This requires removing a section of insulation. There must be absolutely no condensation or excessive humidity between the insulation material and the floor structure.

If the floor is insulated on the underside and the insulation material is installed with a (ventilated) space between the floor boarding and the insulation material, this prevents condensation from forming between the different materials. In our opinion, this is a correct application and installation with maximum efficiency. Insulation installed under the joists also has the same effect and function as installing it between the joists with a (ventilated) space.

• Depending on the materials used, yields may vary per insulation material used.

You can check floor joists for wood rot, whether they are thick enough, strong enough, and stable enough to function as load-bearing beams. Also, pay extra attention to the foundation supports (benching) for wood rot, brown rot, or moisture in the joist heads due to rising damp from the foundation. The quality of joists deteriorates with age; the parts of the joists that actually "stick" into the wall cannot be seen because that would require removing parts of the joists or foundation.

Floor joists are supported by the foundation. If wood rot is detected at this support, we assume it is repairable and/or that a steel bracket can be installed under the joist to the foundation to take over its support function. If wood rot (or brown rot) is detected in the floor joists themselves, the cause and effect must be addressed. Only by addressing these defects can the precise extent of the damage often be determined, and a decision may be made to replace an entire floor joist or several. Replacing a floor joist is not easy, especially because it is cemented in on both sides.

• If necessary, have a professional company replace the beams; first, get a quote for the work. Unit prices may vary depending on the circumstances.
• If you believe too many beams need replacing and the costs are too high, you can consider removing the entire floor and replacing it with a concrete one. This is also a major and expensive operation, but it's the best option in the long run.

• Woodworm is a name for various insect larvae that live in wood.
• The larva of the common furniture beetle or common doorknob beetle is also called the large woodworm.
• If woodworm has been noticed, it cannot be ruled out that it is also present (to a greater or lesser extent) in other wooden parts elsewhere in the house.
• Woodworm eggs can hatch and become active up to seven years after being laid! Therefore, vigilance is always advised.
• If complete certainty is required, it can be considered to involve an expert exterminator for a full inventory.

If you suspect the presence of a longhorn beetle in your beams and/or floor boarding, one of the woodworms that can cause the most damage in the Netherlands is the longhorn beetle. Short-term treatment is always recommended if a live longhorn beetle is present. Treatment may even require replacement of parts of the beams in the worst-case scenario.

• A longhorn beetle gnaws a tunnel in the wood, with exit holes about 6 mm to 9 mm long and oval. These exit holes are present.
• For woodworm control, it is best to contact an expert, a pest controller specialized in this field.
• A longhorn beetle can be heard by gnawing at the wood, but is difficult to recognize.
• Recognize woodworm and prevent worse!
• A woodworm in the house is a nuisance!