Standing Water in Your Crawl Space? Here’s What To Do.

Standing water in crawl space causes mold growth, wood rot, mildew, sagging floors, foundation cracks, and more.

Water damage and foundation issues are interconnected problems. It’s a vicious cycle in which foundation cracks lead to worsening water damage which leads to even more worsening foundation problems. That’s why it’s so important to fix water problems in your crawl space early and prevent the problem at its source.

A seasoned expert in foundation repair and waterproofing at Helitech can guide you toward a holistic solution to prevent water from pooling in your crawl space after a heavy rain. At Helitech Waterproofing and Foundation Repair, we will quickly evaluate the damage, determine the source of the problem, and provide you with a free estimate. If there are signs of damage, we’ll take care of fixing everything so that you will never have to worry about it again. Working with Helitech is really that simple.

Is it Normal to Have a Little Water in My Crawl Space?

Some moisture in the crawl space under your house may be inevitable, especially if you live in a humid climate or a region with lots of rain like here in the Midwest. It’s not a good idea, however, to allow it to remain there.

If you notice water pooling or any type of mold growth, it has grown far past “normal” levels of moisture. Standing water with no way out is a severe problem for not just your home, but for your family’s health.

Why You Shouldn’t Ignore Crawl Space Water

Crawl space water has many different common causes including plumbing leaks and condensation; however, the number one reason for why groundwater is making its way into your home is because it may be coming from underneath where the soil has too much hydrostatic water pressure in it that is pushing up and allowing that water to stand in there.

When your crawl space has standing water, the rest of your home can suffer along with it. Unresolved crawl space water can lead to:

• Wood rot in floor joists and crawl space columns
• Mildew build-up and mold growth that can cause health problems
• Dust mites and pests, such as termites, that are attracted to damp environments
• Higher energy bills because damp air takes more energy for your HVAC system to cool and heat
• Structural damage to your foundation walls

These moisture problems don’t just stay in your crawl space either.

What to Do if You Have Standing Water in Your Crawl Space

If you have standing water in your crawl space, the first thing you should do is to call the experts at Helitech. Here are some ways that our remediation team can help stop water from pooling in your crawl space after a heavy rain:

1. Leave it to us to perform foundation repair

All foundations settle to some extent, even crawl space foundations. However, if water is pooling, floors are sagging, and cracks are forming, it might be a sign of serious structural damage. Cracks are letting excess moisture into your crawl space, which can cause your floor boards to rot and your home to sink.

Patching the cracks will solve the problem temporarily, but to prevent future cracks from forming, we will have to provide support to your settling foundation. To this end, we can use helical piles to lift your home’s foundation back to its desired height allowing us to patch the existing cracks.

2. Put preventative systems in place to promote effective crawl space moisture control

Moisture and humidity control systems are vital to the health of your foundation system, therefore, there are many ways to control humidity levels and dampness in your basement system. Contact us now to install:

• Crawl space encapsulation systems

  These systems use vapor barriers to prevent excess water vapor from entering your crawl space, yet still allow existing water vapor to escape.

• Crawl space vents

  These vents allow air to circulate and provide excess moisture an escape route.

• Dehumidifiers

  These units allow you to control the humidity and keep it level to prevent mold and dry rot.

• Sump pumps

  In situations where water is pooling in your crawl space after a heavy rain, sump pumps help collect the water and divert it away from the crawl space.

• Drainage systems

  We often use a drainage system called the Hydraway 2000 that works in tandem with the Hydrapump sump pump. This French drain removes up to 70% more water than other drainage pipes and restores a dry, healthy crawl space environment.

Is Water in Crawl Space Covered By Insurance?

Whether or not water damage is covered by your insurance all depends on what type of insurance you have and the cause of the water making its way into your crawl space. In many cases, the following instances might be covered under a homeowners insurance policy when the standing water was caused by:

• A pipe bursting unexpectedly
• A faulty or broken appliance that leaked
• A malfunctioning air conditioning unit that created a sudden burst of water

Overall, if the damage in your crawl space is caused by a flood or simply water seeping up through the ground, then standard homeowners insurance usually does not cover the costs. If the chances are high that you could experience flooding, then you will want to add this type of insurance coverage to your homeowners policy.

Water Problems in Your Crawl Space? Contact Helitech Now

Foundation water issues in the crawl space can affect the integrity of your entire home. Regardless of whether you’ve found water in your crawl space after heavy rain or because you’ve noticed sagging floors or other signs of damage, don’t hesitate to get a free professional evaluation today for crawl space repair.

The trained technicians at Helitech will make sure that the grading outside is good, the gutters are unclogged, the downspouts are directed away from the home, and more. If the problem is persisting, then we need to look at most likely an interior drainage system to solve that problem.

We’ll ascertain the root of the problem and fix it quickly with our expansive knowledge and certified engineers with decades of expertise. Plus, we provide transferable warranties for most of our work.