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How To Deal With Standing Water In Your Crawl Space
Do you have standing water in your crawl space? Not only is this bothersome, but it can have severe consequences that can impact your health and the value of your property! Standing water can create molds that are dangerous to the health, while they can also lead to rot and decay that can weaken your property’s structure. This is why it’s essential you make it a habit to check your crawl space to ensure that it’s always clean and dry.
What Causes Standing Water In The Crawl Space
If you find water in your crawl space, you must prepare to investigate the situation because there’s no single reason for this. Here are some of the most common causes of standing water in crawl spaces:
- Moisture from the ground: If the floor of your crawl space has exposed dirt, then it’s likely the reason moisture gets in, which eventually produces standing water in the area.
- Foundation vents: Moisture can pass through your foundation vents. To know if this is causing the standing water, check if the home is sloped towards the vent. You can also check the vent screen to see signs of water seeping in.
- Foundation cracks: Another possible source of water entry is the cracks in your home’s foundation. In such cases, you must hire experts to perform a complete inspection for cracks.
- Leaky Pipes: Make sure your pipes and plumbing systems are routinely checked by a professional. Leaks from these pipes can cause standing water in the crawl space and even increase your utility bills.
- Clogged low-point drain: If you have a low-point drain installed in your crawl space and it doesn’t have a filter, the drains can get clogged easily. If you check this drain and notice it’s underwater, it’s likely clogged.
How Do You Solve Standing Water?
The solution to standing water in your crawl space will vary based on the cause. One popular method is waterproofing that can keep water out. However, this is an effective method mostly when the water is coming from the outdoors. Also, when waterproofing the crawl space, it must be done both indoors and outdoors.
Another method that can solve the problem is by ensuring there’s proper ventilation. Likewise, it’s also a great idea to have a humidifier in the crawl space as well as ventilation fans to keep moisture at a minimum.
An encapsulation system is another excellent way to prevent standing water. This acts as a vapor barrier that will keep the crawl space separate from the ground and earth around it. With that, it will help keep moisture from the ground out of the crawl space.
Conclusion
Standing water presents many safety hazards and dangers you don’t want to get involved in. This is why you need to eliminate it from your home so that it won’t return. At the same time, remember that mold and mildew, as well as pests and rodents that are attracted to standing water can wreak havoc to your health and property.
If you find standing water in your crawl space and other areas of your property, you should call a professional to solve the problem. If you attempt to remedy the issue by yourself, you can risk making costly mistakes!
Master Restoration Idaho deals with problems regarding crawl spaces in Boise. We can help resolve your crawl space water problem and restore your property to its former glory. Get in touch with our experts today to see how we can help!