When was the last time you checked your home’s crawl space? If you are like most homeowners with a crawl space, it’s probably been a while.
It’s hard to get psyched up about entering this small creepy area of the house for whatever reason. But don’t let this stop you, as failing to do so could have bigger implications. In particular, crawl spaces, especially unencapsulated crawl spaces, are highly susceptible to standing water and the high indoor humidity it can cause.
Wondering where the accumulated water is coming from? Well, there are three possible explanations for this. First, since the crawl space is a below-grade area under the house, the soil around the foundation walls can quickly become saturated, especially after heavy rainfall or snowfall. The water will then push against the foundation walls and find its way in.
Another reason why you may find water in your crawl space is due to a plumbing issue such as a plumbing leak or pipe burst. Last but not least, surface water could get into the crawl space from leaky basement walls and windows, grading issues, overflowing gutters, or roof drainage.
Having standing water in a crawl space can be costly for several reasons. When groundwater gets soaked up into the foundation walls, or basement walls, it may be drawn up into certain absorbent building materials such as masonry, plaster, and drywall through capillary action. This ultimately affects your home, creating high indoor humidity.
This process is commonly known as rising damp. If ignored, this increase in moisture inside building materials could cause structural damage. Moreover, standing water in an encapsulated crawling space could cause high indoor humidity through the stack effect.
The stack effect is a phenomenon whereby hot air rises, escaping through the upper levels of the home. This creates a vacuum that gets filled up with crawl space air, which condenses, creating humid conditions in the crawl space.
Fortunately, high indoor humidity and moisture issues can be resolved. All you need is a team of waterproofing and foundation repair experts to get your house back on track. All you need is Barrier Waterproofing Systems. Contact us today for a free quote.
