Water under the crawlspace or in the basement is usually due to
incorrect building. We will begin with methods of fixing a damp
crawlspace or a damp and wet basement.
Number
one: make sure the house has rain gutters and downspouts, and that the
downspouts direct water away from the base of the house. One way to do
this is to have the downspouts go into underground perforated tubes that
lead water at least 20 feet away from the house. Another way is to
have the rollup frog tongues, as some people call them, connected to the
downspouts. When it rains and water fills the rain gutters and goes
down. The downspouts, the fraud tongues rollout and direct water away
from the house.
Number two: ensure that good ventilation is
occurring in the crawlspace or the basement. This can be done by making
a small outlet in the heating and air-conditioning system or by
installing a small fan to create a continuous airflow and the crawlspace
or basement.
Number three: look carefully outside, around the
entire crawlspace or basement and make sure that the soil is slanting
away from the base of the house at all places. This slant or slope
insures that all rainwater is draining away from the crawlspace or
basement. Some soil may need to be brought in, to even this up and make
sure the water runs away from the basement or crawlspace in all areas.
Number
four: inside a crawlspace, one should make sure that the crawlspace is
level and clean and then covered with a few inches of dry sand. Next
two layers of overlapping five mil plastic and that plastic should be
covered with another two or 3 inches of dry sand. This will keep the
moisture in the soil from evaporating up into the crawlspace and
eventually going up into the insulation of the house.
A damp
crawlspace or wet basement creates conditions suitable for mold and
mildew. Mold and mildew are bad for your health, and bad for resale of
your home.
Soon sellers and realtors will be required to have mold
and mildew tests for homes before they can be sold or as part of a home
inspection. In some areas a home inspection includes dampness, mold,
and mildew inspection now.
