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[jackal27]

So I just went under my house for the first time in a bit to unplug our sump pump for the winter season. The last home owner told me that if I don't, it would freeze over and burn out the engine during snow and such. Also went around to close the ventilation grates. Wouldn't you know it, there's still standing water in the sump pump pit (for lack of a better term). Welp. Guess that's just there now.

The fact that I have to do any of these things makes me long for renting an apartment again. To make it worse, I am pretty sure it smelled like mold down there and I have no idea what to do about it or even how to look for it. Guy here before me told me he used bleach to clean it all out. My dad told me we need to get under there and redo the tarps that are laid out as well.

All this to say, crawl spaces are flooding, mold growing, rodent infested, time consuming, damp, cold/hot, cramped, dark, stink holes FILLED WITH SPIDERS.

Being an adult sucks.

 

[Vigilant Walrus]

So I just went under my house for the first time in a bit to unplug our sump pump for the winter season. The last home owner told me that if I don't, it would freeze over and burn out the engine during snow and such. Also went around to close the ventilation gates. Wouldn't you know it, there's still standing water in the sump pump pit (for lack of a better term). Welp. Guess that's just there now.

The fact that I have to do any of these things sucks major balls. To make it worse, I am pretty sure it smelled like mold down there and I have no idea what to do about it or even how to look for it. Guy here before me told me he used bleach to clean it all out. My dad told me we need to get under there and redo the tarps that are laid out as well.

All this to say, crawl spaces are flooding, mold growing, rodent infested, time consuming, damp, cold/hot, cramped, dark, stink holes FILLED WITH SPIDERS.

Being an adult sucks.

We don't really have crawl spaces in Europe from what I've seen. Seems to be more of an American thing with a front porch? In movies the crawl space is always where Hannibal hides the bodies or where the family hides from the axe murderer.
I can see why it would be creepy.




A friend of mine grew up in kenya and she said they had to regularly pour many liters of boiled water through the front porch to stop venemous snakes from infesting. Apparantly they move in big groups beneath the ground and like to nest in peoples gardens and under houses. Some of these types of snakes can be lethal and lay many many eggs. It sounded like a nightmare.

 

[ZackieChan]

Ours used to scare the shit out of me when I was a kid. Who thought this was a good idea?

Also, the ending to Arachnophobia takes place in one, which adds another layer of horror.

 

[jackal27]

Ours used to scare the shit out of me when I was a kid. Who thought this was a good idea?

Also, the ending to Arachnophobia takes place in one, which adds another layer of horror.

Arachnophobia is literally my life every time I have to go down there. I carry a spray can of heavy duty Raid with me everywhere because it is Black Widow CITY.

 

[Media]

I'm not sure if our new place has a crawl space but our old one did and it sucked. It was filled with black widows and cellar spiders. So glad the dudes had to take care of that shit.
Our new place has an attic though, and a squirrel gets in there all the time. And just fucking plays or something. Runs back and forth, jumps around. So annoying at 5 am.

 

[DJ_Lae]

Crawl spaces are the worst.

If only people just put in a goddamn basement in the first place.

 

[jackal27]

I'm not sure if our new place has a crawl space but our old one did and it sucked. It was filled with black widows and cellar spiders. So glad the dudes had to take care of that shit.
Our new place has an attic though, and a squirrel gets in there all the time. And just fucking plays or something. Runs back and forth, jumps around. So annoying at 5 am.

Please send me your dudes. I need some dudes to take care of this garbage.

Crawl spaces are the worst.

If only people just put in a goddamn basement in the first place.

Amen. I'm seriously considering just saving up to build one at this point. It is awful.

 

[Trojita]

Arachnophobia is literally my life every time I have to go down there. I care a spray can of heavy duty Raid with me everywhere because it is Black Widow CITY.

Nope.gif

 

[Afrocious]

Arachnophobia is literally my life every time I have to go down there. I carry a spray can of heavy duty Raid with me everywhere because it is Black Widow CITY.

You just convinced me to never own a house.

 

[notsol337]

My crawlspace is 12 feet deep. So much fun.

 

[jackal27]

My crawlspace is 12 feet deep. So much fun.

Why on earth have you not made that into a basement already!?

 

[CreepingFear]

The crawlspace in my childhood home had funny papers. Good times. I wish my family didn't lose that house. That shit hole was actually pretty good, in retrospect.

 

[teiresias]

In the past crawl spaces haven't tended to bother me so long as I can actually crawl or kneel, but the one under my current house is so narrow that it triggers some latent claustrophobia that I didn't know I had - it pretty much requires a belly crawl. I refuse to work under there so I just pay for yearly inspections and for other people to do whatever needs doing under there. Still, guys that have been under there - inspector, plumbers, pest control guys - tell me it's not near the worst they've been in.

I probably should get the insulation replaced under there though.

 

[jackal27]

In the past crawl spaces haven't tended to bother me, but the one under my current house is so narrow that it triggers some latent claustrophobia that I didn't know I had. I refuse to work under there so I just pay for yearly inspections and for other people to do whatever needs ding under there. I probably should get the insulation replaced though.

This is a problem for me too. That 2-foot (maybe closer to 3 or 4) gap plus the sound of someone walking above me is terrifying. How much does it end up costing you each year?

You just convinced me to never own a house.

Until your wife says otherwise...

 

[teiresias]

This is a problem for me too. That 2-foot (maybe closer to 3 or 4) gap plus the sound of someone walking above me is terrifying. How much does it end up costing you each year?

I get my crawl inspected by a company that also did my cockroach prevention treatment, so after paying for the initial treatment it's only like $100 each year for them to inspect under there. I always assume I'll get quoted higher costs for work under there though - plumbing, and when I finally get the insulation and ductwork replaced.

Really though, I don't mind crawls that are larger - next house I'll definitely look at the crawl before deciding I'm interested. I prefer crawl to slab simply for maintenance reasons. I can't imagine it's cheap to fix plumbing that might be leaking when it's buried in concrete. Basements are better than both though - well until the sump pump goes, we don't need pumps for just crawls around here.

 

[jackal27]

I get my crawl inspected by a company that also did my cockroach prevention treatment, so after paying for the initial treatment it's only like $100 each year for them to inspect under there. I always assume I'll get quoted higher costs for work under there though - plumbing, and when I finally get the insulation and ductwork replaced.

Really though, I don't mind crawls that are larger - next house I'll definitely look at the crawl before deciding I'm interested. I prefer crawl to slab simply for maintenance reasons. I can't imagine it's cheap to fix plumbing that might be leaking when it's buried in concrete. Basements are better than both though - well until the sump pump goes, we don't need pumps for just crawls around here.

Dang that's not bad at all. I would gladly pay someone a couple hundred for the peace of mind alone. Still yeah, I think that saving for a basement is in our future. I'm glad we bought a house well enough writhin our means that that is a viable option.

 

[Naked Snake]

We don't really have crawl spaces in Europe from what I've seen. Seems to be more of an American thing with a front porch? In movies the crawl space is always where Hannibal hides the bodies or where the family hides from the axe murderer.

Same here (Middle East). Another thing we don't have here are walls made of wood or whatever. Everything here is made of thick hard bricks. Also we never have to deal with venomous creatures, squirrels, or earth quakes, hurricanes or floods.

Living in America used to be the holy grail when I was younger, but the older I get the more I appreciate not having to deal with all the shit they have to deal with there.

 

[jackal27]

Same here (Middle East). Another thing we don't have here are walls made of wood or whatever. Everything here is made of thick hard bricks. Also we never have to deal with venomous creatures, squirrels, or earth quakes and floods.

Living in America used to be the holy grail when I was younger, but the older I get the more I appreciate not having to deal with all the shit they have to deal with there.

Hey but you guys also have spiders the size of my head.

 

[Naked Snake]

Hey but you guys also have spiders the size of my head.

I've never seen one. I think those are only in the desert (particularly in Iraq; the only time I've seen them are in videos from US military there), not in cities/towns.

 

[balohna]

We had a crawlspace in my childhood home that was kinda nice. I could stand up in it as a kid, so maybe 4-5 feet tall? Entered through a floor hatch in a closet, we had a bunch of stuff down there in a little area lit by one light bulb. Like boxes of assorted stuff, and I think I had a slotcar thing that just lived there permanently. The rest of it was mostly empty and covered the entire floorplan of the house. I remember going exploring as a kid. It was dusty and dark but luckily not too many spiders.

My dad is one of those dudes that's handy and also super organized and clean, so it wouldn't surprise me if he was down there vacuuming or something.

 

[ZackieChan]