Should I Worry About the Water In My Crawlspace?

11/8/2022 (Permalink)

If you notice water in your crawl space, don’t ignore it!

Is it Bad If There's Water in My Crawl Space?

As a homeowner, you probably think of your crawl space as nothing more than a place beneath your home. However, it is an important part of your home’s structural integrity. A wet crawl space can lead to serious issues with the safety of your house. So if you notice water in your crawl space, don’t ignore it! 

Crawl Space Water Can Lead to Serious Problems

If you've noticed a musty smell in your crawl space, you're not alone. This is often caused by moisture and condensation from the ground below seeping into your home.

But mold and mildew aren't just a nuisance—they can cause serious issues. If you notice mold growing in your crawlspace or on any other part of your home's exterior, contact a professional right away to eliminate it before it spreads further throughout the building's structure.

Why Do Crawl Spaces Get wet?

Here are the most common causes of a wet crawl space:

Rainwater can seep through the foundation and into your crawl space. This is most common in areas with high amounts of rainfall, like coastal regions where there’s more water than normal precipitation. But even if you don’t live in an area that receives much rain, it could still be happening to you!

Water can also come from leaks in pipes or plumbing fixtures. If the pipes that connect to your plumbing system are leaking (for example, if a pipe has burst), then water can seep down into your crawl space.

Wet crawl spaces can also be caused by humidity, water heater leaks, or other sources of water infiltration.

Why Is a Wet Crawl Space a Problem?

While the crawl space is the foundation of your home and its walls are sturdy, they are not immune from water damage. Crawl spaces can be prone to flooding when it rains. Even if you don't have a basement, there's a good chance your crawl space has an opening that leads to the outside world. A wet crawl space is a problem because it can lead to a variety of serious issues, including:

Mold. One of the biggest concerns with water in your crawl space is mold. Mold grows quickly and thrives in damp environments, so if you have significant amounts of standing water on the floor or walls of your home’s crawlspace, you may see signs of mold as soon as you inspect the area. If left untreated, mold can cause structural damage to your home and make it uninhabitable by humans.

Rotting wood framing. Wood framing relies on ventilation for proper drying out after a rainstorm or snow melt—and when there’s no airflow at all from an enclosed space like a crawlspace, the rot will occur much more quickly than usual due to lack of ventilation. 

Water In the Crawl Space Can Sit There For a Long Time

Water in the crawl space can sit there for months or years and do damage. The worse the damage, the longer it will take to fix. The longer water sits, the more difficult it will be to remove and dry out your crawl space.

If you’re dealing with a wet crawl space, don’t panic! The first step is getting an expert diagnosis from a professional. There are many possible causes of water in the crawl space, so it’s important to make sure you know what kind of problem you have before you start treating it. If the damage is minor and can be fixed by sealing off leaks or adding drainage pipes, then this may be all that needs to be done. However, if it turns out that your home has structural issues that need repair before there will be no more flooding problems at all then let our SERVPRO team assist!