Is there moisture in your crawl space? This could take the form of anything from condensation all the way up to small pools or even flooding.
It’s easy to ignore a damp crawl space since you can’t always see it. However, this moisture can cause mold growth which decreases the air quality throughout your home. This mold can even lead to serious health problems for you and your family. Beyond that, moisture in your crawl space can attract pests and rot the foundation of your home.
You want to keep this area as dry as possible and avoid all of these possibilities. But you can’t stop the rain. So what do you do when water gets into your crawl space?
Here are 6 tips for crawl space water removal:
- Call a Crawl Space Professional
- Buy a House With a Dry Crawl Space
- French Drains
- Slope Your Sidewalks
- Control Humidity
- Buy a Crawl Space Sump Pump
Call a Crawl Space Professional
If your crawl space is flooded, you won’t be able to take care of it yourself. Call a professional who can drain it.
A flooded crawl space is a difficult job. There are a lot of special tools and methods that you might not have access to. And because a dry crawlspace is so important, you want to be sure it’s done correctly.
You may also want to hire a contractor to assess how much damage the water caused. Check whether your insurance covers it. Your homeowner’s insurance won’t pay unless the water came from a faulty pipe. You most likely have other types of insurance, however. Replace any damaged items from your home.
The professional will also have to sanitize your crawlspace. If the water damage is from a sewer pipe, it’s going to be really gross and leave behind contaminants even after it’s been dried up. The mold will also need to be treated by an expert. This is all part of the crawl space water removal process.
Buy a House With a Dry Crawl Space
The easiest way to deal with this problem is not to have it in the first place. When you’re looking to buy a house, investigate whether the crawlspace builds up water. Also look for mold. Certain types of mold can make you sick or even potentially kill you. Hire an inspector before buying a house.
French Drains
French drains are a preventive strategy to keep your crawl space dry. Home expert Bob Vila describes a French drain as , “a ditch in the ground, inset with a perforated pipe under a layer of gravel. That pipe funnels storm water away from where you don’t want it—along the foundation, for example—and deposits that water in a more desirable place, such as the municipal storm drain or a rain barrel.”
This will help you direct water away from your crawlspace. Slope it slightly in the direction you want the water to flow. Read Bob Vila’s blog post for more details.
Slope Your Sidewalks
Rain is going to fall, so you need to do all you can to make sure the water doesn’t flow into your crawlspace. The area directly surrounding your home is the most prone to this rainwater soaking through and entering your crawlspace. There are a couple things you can do to keep this water away from your foundation, and lessen the chances of it getting in areas it shouldn’t be.
Sidewalks don’t allow water to soak through. Because of this, they can be used to direct water in a certain direction. You can use this to your advantage by making sure they are slightly angled away from your home. This acts as a guide, causing the rainwater to flow away from your home.
Your roof protects the top of your home, and your gutters guide all of that water away. However, the rain spouts at the end of your gutters require a little attention. If these spouts simply guide the water alongside your home, they aren’t doing their job. Angle the spout away from your home toward a slope in your yard. And if there isn’t a slope leading away, attach a downspout extension to draw the rainwater into your yard and away from your crawlspace.
Let Crawlspace Doctor protect and clean your crawlspace. Ask us about our extensive warranties.
See Our Locations and Schedule a Free Evaluation
Control Humidity
Your crawl space doesn’t have to be flooded to be a problem. Moisture and humidity can promote mold growth and lead to dangerous issues.
Consider getting a vapor barrier installed. This is a plastic sheet covering the ground and parts of the walls and posts. Just don’t block the vents in your foundation. That can seal in carcinogenic radon.
A vapor barrier is more of a water prevention strategy than a water removal strategy, but it can still help keep moisture out. However, pooling water from a leaking pipe or rainwater can still be an issue.
Buy a Crawl Space Sump Pump
A sump pump sucks water out of your crawlspace or basement to lessen the damage from flooding. They can last anywhere from 10-30 years depending on what type you get, so they don’t need to be replaced very often. It doesn’t require much maintenance, either, but there are some tips.
You sump pump should also send the water far from your home, at least 20 feet from your home foundation. Only a qualified professional should install your sump pump. Read this article for more information on crawl space sump pumps.
If you need crawl space water removal, call Crawlspace Doctor. Our evaluation process is free, and we’ve been in business for almost 20 years. We’ll help you determine what steps to take with your crawl space.