Recently quite a few customers have expressed concern about their crawl space due to the heavy rain we have experienced this fall. There are a couple of things to keep in mind about your crawl space. One: It is dug into the ground and might be below the elevated water table because of the rain. What does that mean? Since your crawl space is the lowest level on your property, it would be the first to experience water
issues with the water table in your area that has risen above the bottom of your crawl space. Two: It depends
on whether your home is on the flat meadows, the hillside, or the top of a hill. If your home and whole neighborhood are on a flat piece of ground, the water table may have raised due to the torrential rains that we saw over the last three months. Your crawl space can have water if the water table is above the level of your crawl space. You can look at the crawl space either from the door that is in one of your closets or from the entry on the side of your foundation. Just take a look with no need to climb into the crawl space as it can be yukky down there. If you see standing water there are a couple of things to look for. Is the vapor barrier or plastic sheeting floating on top? Is the water moving? Is debris floating on the water and where is your home located? If you are in the flat and these things are happening, there may or may not be a problem. If there is no water after all of the recent rain, that is a good thing!
Your crawl space is draining correctly or, it’s above the water table. There are
several companies out there that I have heard horror stories about and should be avoided. They will advise you to replace all of your insulation and install a sump pump to fix the problem. The pump may be needed, but only if you have a history of water in the crawl
space. As for the insulation, unless it has gotten wet, it does not need to be replaced. That is how they
make their money, they tell you the scary things about the water issue and then you think you have to
shell out thousands or tens of thousands of dollars for what may be an unnecessary fix. If you are on the
top or even the side of a hill, you should not have water in the crawl space.
If you feel like something is not ok, please do not sign anything and call your home builder or
give us a call to take a look before moving forward with such an expensive undertaking.
