How to Dry Out Your Crawl Space

There are a handful of reasons that explains why your crawl space is holding moisture. The reasons range from the condensation of your A/C unit to an excess of rain or snowfall in your area. No matter how your crawl space got wet, it is an issue that should be dealt with quickly. Keeping your crawl space dry will keep mold and other fungi from growing in your home.

Reasons Why Your Crawl Space is Wet

In many scenarios, a wet crawl space is caused by an excess of moisture in the air and groundwater around the perimeter of your home. As water enters the wood in your home the moisture in the air enters through vents. Both enter the insulation, which absorbs the moisture like a sponge.

Surface water that enters your crawl space is normally from roof drainage, gutters, or leaky windows. Groundwater can cause problems for a crawl space in a handful of ways. The soil around the foundation can become wetter after periods of heavy rain or snow. Water from the surrounding soil pushes against the walls of the foundation, eventually finding a way into your home. Plumbing issues is another common problem. A leak or a burst pipe, can have excess water come into the crawl space. Even if you have a vapor barrier in your crawl space, the water will sit on top of the liner until it evaporates.

Ways to Keep Your Crawl Space Dry

Here are the some ways to keep moisture out of a crawl space after water has entered the home. The first step is to clear the crawl space of any waste or wet material. This means any wet insulation that is there. After the debris is clear, you will want to check for any fungi that could be growing in your crawl space. Mold and fungus thrive in dark and damp environments, so a damp crawl space is a perfect place for bacteria to grow.

Next, you want to make sure you get rid of all puddles of water that is in the crawl space. The best way to get all the standing water out of your crawl space is using a sump pump or wet dry vaccum.

The next step is to get the rest of the moisture out of the crawl space. Using a dehumidifier will help dry out the air, and take care of any remaining moisture that may be present in your crawl space.

More Info

If you are having trouble keeping your crawl space dry, there may be a larger issue with your home’s foundation. That is where Foundation on the Level comes to help! If you need more information make sure you contact us!