Crawl Space Waterproofing Methods To Consider When You're Having Problems With A Wet Crawl Space
If water gets in your crawl space, it affects your living space above it. The crawl space shares air with the upper levels of your home, so what's in the crawl space gets in your house too. You may need to call a crawl space waterproofing contractor to figure out a way to keep your crawl space dry. Here are some possible options for crawl space waterproofing.
Fix Drainage Problems Near The House
Water should drain away from your house when it rains. If something changed with your landscaping that causes water to roll toward the crawl space, you should take steps to slope your yard properly so water drains away again. If the slope of your yard doesn't seem to be the problem, you might want to talk to the waterproofing contractor about putting in a drain.
The contractor might put a French drain outside or they might put a drain around the walls of your crawl space on the inside. The drain catches water and sends it away so your crawl space doesn't get wet. Another thing that causes problems with drainage is when your gutters don't work properly. The whole purpose of gutters is to drain water away from your home. If the gutters leak, or if the downspout isn't draining properly, have the gutters repaired so rain drains like it should.
Cover The Crawl Space Floor
If your crawl space has a dirt floor, water vapor can waft up through it and keep the area damp. Covering up the dirt might help. The contractor might consider pouring a concrete slab over the soil. However, water vapor can still seep up through the concrete, so putting a vapor barrier on the soil might be a better and less expensive idea.
Encapsulate The Crawl Space
Encapsulation takes a vapor barrier to a new level by also applying the plastic sheeting to the walls. This creates a closed room inside the crawl space that keeps moisture out. Thick plastic sheets are applied to the walls and floor with the seams bonded together to create a dry space that can be kept dry by setting up a dehumidifier inside the encapsulated area.
The crawl space waterproofing method you choose might depend on your budget and the severity of the problem. As long as the method is effective at keeping your crawl space dry, you can enjoy fewer problems with foul odors wafting into your living space, and you might even notice fewer pests around your home once the moisture is eliminated.