If you’ve noticed a little water in your crawl space, this could be a sign of a serious problem. Even a small amount of water should be investigated because of the potentially serious consequences to your home and health when moisture is allowed to remain long-term.
The accumulation of water may be caused by poor drainage, heavy rainfall, or a high water table. Standing water under your home may also be a symptom of cracked walls. If the concrete between the bricks making up your walls is damaged, water can seep into your crawl space. Most worrying of all, the presence of water in your crawl space may indicate a leak in your pipes that you are not yet aware of yet.
Your crawl space sits directly on your home’s foundation. The concrete foundations and wooden beams that support your house will be damaged by standing water. Over time, standing water could eventually weaken the structure of your house to such an extent that it becomes unfit for habitation.
A little water in your crawl space may not scare you at a glance, but you may grow more alarmed when you notice the presence of unwelcome creepy-crawlies. Everyone knows that pests love small, dark, warm spaces. Well, they love damp, small, dark, warm spaces even more. Standing water under your home will attract creatures great and small. The worst culprits, termites pose a serious threat to the structure and longevity of your home.
Aside from structural problems with your house, moisture in your crawl space can lead to the growth of mildew and mold. If you don’t spot that you have a mold problem right away, the problem can have cause chronic health problems for the inhabitants of your home.
To prevent water accumulating in your crawl space, it’s a good idea to go down there periodically with a flashlight and inspect the whole area below the house. Look for puddles of standing water as well as signs of mildew or mold on the wood. If you notice even a little water, or small colonies of mold, you’d do well to call in water damage restoration experts to investigate the issue. They will identify the source of the water and conduct the necessary repairs to prevent more water damage.
A good water damage restoration company will not only diagnose the issue but will work with you to develop a sustainable solution to prevent water entering your crawl space. Having identified the source of the water, they will remove soils that have become contaminated by the presence of water or moisture and install a vapor barrier to prevent rising moisture from damaging your home.
While a small amount of moisture in your crawl space can be normal, especially if you live in a humid climate or a region with high annual rainfall, it is not a good idea to allow it to remain there. When water in your crawl space becomes standing water, you risk serious problems for your home and the health of your family.
If you suspect there is water in your crawl space, give our highly knowledgeable team a call. We are happy to help with your water remediation.