If you have a crawl space, you also need crawl space drainage. This is an important factor in your home that will avoid unnecessary damage. However, some homeowners don’t take the time to invest in this solution.
The thing is, crawl space drainage solutions don’t just impact the crawl space. They also impact the rest of the home, from the structure underneath your home to the actual livable conditions of the home. That’s something you need to pay attention to that affects your health as well as your family’s health.
Crawl Space Repair in Virginia, Maryland, and DC
Why do you actually need to focus on crawl space drainage systems and make sure your home has a good one? There are plenty of reasons why crawl space drainage should be the number one priority for you.
The Importance of Effective Crawl Space Drainage Solutions
Why do you actually need to focus on crawl space drainage systems and make sure your home has a good one? There are plenty of reasons why crawl space drainage should be a number one priority for you.
A crawl space drainage system ensures that your home doesn’t end up with significant water underneath it. However, some people aren’t sure how water would even get in the crawl space in the first place, making it hard to see the use of crawl space drainage.
There are many potential inputs for water in your crawl space, but these are the most common.
Flooding from Outside and Inside
If you’re dealing with flooding, whether from a natural disaster, a structural issue, or an internal plumbing leak, it’s possible for that water to find its way into your home. It’s also definitely possible for it to come into your crawl space.
This is especially true if you have open crawl space vents or existing crawl space drainage solutions that just don’t work well enough. The incoming water can simply sit in your crawl space, leading to significant moisture and humidity.
When you have flooding issues, it’s important that you tackle the reason for that flooding in the first place. However, you also need to tackle the water it leaves behind, and a crawl space drainage system can do that.
Hydrostatic Pressure
Hydrostatic pressure is the formal name for the pressure water exerts when it’s at rest. Because water is so heavy, it’s surprisingly powerful, and resting water can cause significant damage even if it’s not flooding over your home.
If you have too much hydrostatic pressure, you may see cracks in your home’s foundation or the floor of your basement or crawl space. That crack will then allow water to seep into the space.
It’s important that a crawl space drainage solution takes into account hydrostatic pressure. Typically, that means diverting it to another area so it doesn’t crack your home’s foundation or any other portion of your home.
Unstable Planning and Building
The way your home is built will have serious repercussions for how it stands over the years. If you have an unstable plan or unstable building materials, that instability will stay with your home not only for the building phase but also while you live in it.
If your crawl space has a dirt floor, for example, it’s more likely to have issues with excess moisture. If it has open vents, it’s more likely to allow water in and make condensation worse.
There are many ways unstable planning and building can seriously damage your home, including how water is let in and out of your home. That’s why you need to invest in crawl space drainage solutions that fix those problems and offer solutions for them.
Of course, even though a crawl space drainage system should exist in your home, you might not know whether it works. There are a surprising number of poor crawl space drainage systems out there, which means yours might not be functioning its best.
What might that mean for your home? These are just a few effects that system can have.
Mold and Mildew
If you allow moisture to grow in your crawl space, you’re almost certainly going to start seeing mold and mildew. Mold grows best in conditions around 70% relative humidity, but that’s a loose number, and it’s common for it to appear even in lower-humidity spaces.
It’s important to note that if you have standing water in your crawl space, you likely already have 70% relative humidity or higher. Even if you don’t have that percentage across the entirety of the crawl space, mold and mildew can grow on the wet surfaces.
These problems can lead to serious health hazards, not only for your family in a moldy home but also for you if you try to remove it yourself. Instead, consult a JES expert to learn more about removal.
Wood Rot
Wood rot is a specific fungus that grows on wet wood. As it grows, it eats away at the wood, causing it to become soft and bouncy. Extreme situations of wood rot can lead to sagging floors and even floors collapsing.
Even if you don’t have this specific type of fungus, you may still suffer from soft floors. Having water constantly in your crawl space can make the wood feel less supportive, which can still lead to problems.
Whether you have wood rot, or you just have general structural integrity issues, you certainly need to address them. Otherwise, the problem can mount into something much more dangerous. A JES professional can make it easier to understand and fix your wet wood issues.
Home Humidity
The humidity in your crawl space doesn’t just stay in your crawl space. Especially if you have open vents in your crawl space, the air can rise from the bottom of your home all the way through it, causing that humidity to rise too.
High levels of humidity in your home can lead to breathing problems, especially in ill or elderly people. It can also make the home feel more uncomfortable, causing you to run your air conditioner more and run up your electricity bill.
This is a financial and health issue, and it’s important to tackle it. If you feel like your home is more humid than normal, you need to talk to a JES expert to see how you can fix the humidity problems you’re experiencing.
There are a number of options for you if you don’t have a great crawl space drainage system. You can fix the drainage problems in your crawl space, but it’s important to do it right. The good news is, many of these options can work alongside each other.
If you’re looking for an answer to your crawl space drainage problems, consider these options.
Crawl Space Perimeter Drain
A crawl space perimeter drain, also sometimes called a French drain, is a below-surface drainage solution that helps drain water out of a crawl space. It directs it outside the home, usually through the sump pump.
It’s important to note that crawl space perimeter drains can function for a very long time as long as they are installed properly. The system offered by JES, called CrawlDrain, is designed with a special fabric along the intake area facing the floor so that it will filter out soil and debris to prevent clogging.
That’s why it’s so important to make sure your perimeter drain is installed by a JES professional. That way, you’ll know your drain has the best chance of working for a long time.
Sump Pump
This is a small pumping system, installed in the lowest part of your crawl space, that helps make sure your crawl space doesn’t flood. Whereas a drain can only use water’s inherent pressure and gravity, a sump pump is a mechanical apparatus that pumps it out.
This is a great option for homes that tend to have water build-up. Although it can’t fix crawl space moisture on its own, it’s a crawl space drainage solution that works, especially when it’s installed by a professional.
You should install a sump pump once you’ve fixed any problems that are allowing water to enter your home, so you can get it dry and keep it dry. Just make sure you contact a JES expert to do the installation.
Full Encapsulation
Of course, before you start maintaining a clean and dry crawl space, you must make sure your crawl space is clean and dry to begin with. The only real way to do that if you have a dirt crawl space is to fully encapsulate it.
With crawl space encapsulation, you don’t have to worry about water coming in from things like dirt floors and open crawl space vents. With a vapor barrier and sealed crawl space vents, your crawl space will remain dry.
To achieve full encapsulation, you must make sure you’re shutting off moisture from all its potential incoming areas. When you talk to a JES expert about encapsulation, you’ll know you’re getting an all-encompassing fix.
Many homeowners look to DIY solutions to try and find a more cost-effective way of maintaining their homes. However, while this might be applicable for some situations, it won’t be for a crawl space drainage system.
Why do you need to look to JES for your crawl space drainage? These are a few reasons why.
Find the Real Problem
It’s not enough to just install a sump pump to pump out water, ignoring why the water’s coming in at all. You need to discover the real problem that’s causing your crawl space moisture. That way, you can cut it off at the root.
A free inspection from a JES expert will reveal these issues in your home. You can see why water’s collecting in your crawl space and basement, and then you’ll be able to learn what to do about it.
It’s extremely important to find the real problem when it comes to these issues. After all, if you don’t, you risk continuing damage. That’s why so many people trust JES to tell them the truth about their home and repair problems.
Perform a Professional Encapsulation
Encapsulation is another thing you need to do professionally. If you don’t have a professional encapsulation, you could miss something. While moisture is not good, it does help uncover cracks in your home.
If you make even the slightest mistake with an encapsulation, you may find that it actually doesn’t work. The last thing you want to do is learn that your encapsulation “fix” didn’t actually fix anything and you kept experiencing the problem through the last few months or years.
The professional nature of the encapsulation option at JES is perfect for anyone who’s currently dealing with moisture issues. You can schedule a free inspection from JES to learn more and choose your solution.
Save Money
Even though you’ll have to spend money to fix the problem, opting for a professional solution can help you save money. That’s because a professional solution will stop the problem and avoid future problems.
When you choose a professional fix over a DIY fix, you know you’re going to get the right fix the first time, eliminating the need to go back and fix things again. You’ll also ensure that you get the fix necessary to stop moisture, which can itself be damaging to your energy bills each month.
It might seem a little counterintuitive, but deciding to go with a professional is the most cost-effective way of combating crawl space moisture. Talk to a JES crawl space repair expert to learn more about your options and schedule a free inspection today.
Talk to a JES Expert to Learn More About Crawl Space Drainage Solutions
Crawl space drainage is an important part of your home structure. It might not be easy to fully understand, especially if you’re a DIY homeowner, but it’s a vital part of maintaining your home’s integrity. Whether you require an unclogged perimeter drain or a full crawl space encapsulation, a JES expert can help.
Your best bet is to always handle your problems as early as possible. That matters in home repair, because every day you waste is a day where your problem just gets worse. Instead of waiting, contact a JES expert to start your journey toward a solution.
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