Crawl space cleaning · Tacoma, WA
Crawl space cleaning under Tacoma's older homes
Decades of debris, droppings and soggy insulation sit under a lot of Tacoma floors. We clear it out, clean it up and leave a dry, sealed crawl space.
- Remove old ducts, oil lines, scraps and fallen batts
- Bag rodent waste wet, never swept dry
- Check the uphill foundation wall for water entry
Crawl space cleaning for Tacoma homesTacoma homes
Crawl space cleaning built around Tacoma houses
Crawl spaces in Tacoma's older neighborhoods have usually been ignored for a long time. Under a South Tacoma rambler or a Hilltop bungalow we routinely find construction scraps, old heating oil lines, broken duct sections, rotted plastic and batts that fell off the joists years ago. Rats nest in that debris, and their droppings and urine soak into the soil and insulation. Cleaning means removing all of it by hand and by vacuum, bagging it, and hauling it away. Droppings are never swept dry, because they can carry hantavirus. We treat the cleaned soil and framing with an antimicrobial before anything new goes down.
Tacoma's hills add a drainage question to every crawl space job. On sloped lots in the North End and Northeast Tacoma, rain runs downhill toward the foundation, and the uphill side of the crawl space is often wetter than the rest. While we are under the house, we photograph standing water, efflorescence on the foundation walls and wet framing, and we tell you whether gutters, downspouts or grading need attention first. After cleaning, we can lay a new vapor barrier, reinstall insulation and seal vents and openings rodents were using. You get before and after photos of every section, so you can see the difference without crawling under the house.
- Remove old ducts, oil lines, scraps and fallen batts
- Bag rodent waste wet, never swept dry
- Check the uphill foundation wall for water entry
- Seal foundation vents and gaps rats used
Local conditions
What Tacoma throws at attics and crawl spaces
The houses
Tacoma has some of the oldest housing in the South Sound. The Stadium District and North End are full of Victorians, foursquares and Craftsman bungalows built between the 1890s and the 1930s, many with partial basements, rubble or early concrete foundations and story-and-a-half attics with knee walls. Hilltop, McKinley Hill and the Lincoln District mix older homes with post-war infill. South Tacoma is heavy on 1940s and 1950s ramblers over crawl spaces. Northeast Tacoma is newer: 1970s to 1990s split-levels and two-stories on steep lots with truss attics and blown-in insulation.
The weather
Tacoma sits on Commencement Bay with Puget Sound wrapping around the north and west sides of the city. Marine air keeps winters mild and damp, and the rainy stretch runs roughly October through May. Hillside lots shed water toward foundations, north-facing roofs under big firs and maples stay wet and mossy, and wind funnels through the Narrows during winter storms.
The wildlife
Roof rats travel the ivy, laurel hedges and mature trees of the North End and the wooded gulches that cut down toward the water. Norway rats are common near the Port, the tideflats and rail corridors, where they burrow and move into crawl spaces. Raccoons and squirrels come out of Point Defiance and the greenbelts and test loose soffits and roof vents.
Typical results
What crawl space cleaning looks like
BeforeAfterHow it works
Same crew, same standard, in Tacoma
- 01
Free inspection with photos
- 02
Protect the house and the path
- 03
Remove debris, plastic and batts
- 04
Sanitize and seal entry points
- 05
Photos and next steps
FAQ
Crawl space cleaning in Tacoma: FAQ
Still unsure? Call (800) 674-4933 and talk it through with us.
My older Tacoma house has a basement and a crawl space. Do you clean both?
We clean the crawl space portion and inspect where it meets the basement. Many Tacoma foursquares and bungalows have a basement under part of the house and a low crawl space under a porch or addition. Those crawl spaces are often the dirtiest part of the house and the easiest place for rodents to get in.
How do I know if my crawl space needs cleaning?
Common signs are a musty smell in the floor registers, droppings or nests near the access hatch, insulation hanging from the joists, or noises under the floor at night. We do a free inspection, take photos throughout the crawl space and show you exactly what is down there.
More in Tacoma
Other services here
Other cities
Crawl space cleaning nearby
Free crawl space cleaning inspection in Tacoma.
Book a free inspection. We'll photograph your attic and crawl space and walk you through what we find, before you decide anything.