Prevent flooding and moisture in your crawl space

3/15/2018 (Permalink)

The most common cause of crawl space flooding is rain water.  When excessive rain water accumulates in the soil next to your foundation it will over-saturate the soil.  Unable to be soaked up by the soil, it will seek another place go.  The path of least resistance will be through your foundation, especially if there are any cracks in the walls.  But, you can protect yourself from crawl space leaks and flooding by taking a few preventative measures.  

Keep rainwater away from your foundation. Make sure your gutters, especially your downspouts, are working properly.  Clear out any clogs and repair any significant leaks.  Make sure your downspouts are draining rain water five feet away from your foundation.  If your gutters and downspouts are set up and working correctly, but you still notice water pooling near your foundation, you probably have an issue with the grade of your yard and may need to have a landscaper fix the problem.  

Use vapor barrier.  Crawl spaces are most commonly located where water runoff is common. They are also often designed with dirt floors.  This makes crawl spaces an ideal breeding ground for moisture and mold.  Vapor barrier can keep crawl space moisture/mold at bay.

Use a sump pump in your crawl space.  Sump pumps move water away from your foundation, and moving safely away from your house.  And of course, they work just as well in crawl spaces as they do in basement.  Be sure you have a backup power source for your sump pump and check it’s operation periodically.  

As a trusted leader in the restoration industry, SERVPRO of Morris / Ottawa has highly trained technicians that are dedicated to responding faster to any size disaster. We provide 24-hour emergency service and have the training and expertise to handle your restoration and cleaning needs.