Crawl space is essentially a hollow area under the floor of some residential buildings between the ground and the first floor. It is usually about 1 to 3 feet tall, as its name suggests, this height is enough for people to climb in. In addition to lifting your house up from the ground, a crawl space is a convenient and inconspicuous place to accommodate the "internal organs" of a house typically located in the basement, such as air conditioning and heaters, plumbing work, insulation materials, pipes, and wires.

 

Humidity problem in a crawl space

The heavy rainfall in winter poses a real threat to basements and crawl spaces in many areas of the country. The problem is that rainwater or melted snow overflows from the roof, pours into drainage ditches and downspouts, and saturates the ground. Ultimately, the pressure of water accumulates underground, pushing it through cracks in the foundation or floor slabs, resulting in a flooded crawl space or basement.

 

Create a dry and safe crawl space

The best first step to solving this problem is to control the water flowing out of your roof, drainage ditch, and wall panels. Another important step is to seal or repair cracks in the foundation walls or slabs of your home. Finally, use humidity monitoring and dehumidification systems.

If you change the direction of the water flow, block the cracks and fissures, and the water still gathers in your basement or crawl space, you have several options. One is to consult the basement waterproofing contractor on how waterproofing or a new drainage system can solve this problem. This could be very expensive.

Another option is to automatically drain the water from the basement before it has the opportunity to collect with the help of a sewage pit pump. The collection tank pump system utilizes drainage rocks and tiles along the foundation and/or floor to collect groundwater. Drainage tiles transport water to a basin buried at the bottom of the basement. When the water fills this pool or "sewage pool" to a certain level, the water pump will start. This pump, partially or completely submerged in the basin, discharges water from the house or into the sewer through a hose.

Using a professional dehumidifier for crawl space is a wise choice. Due to its proximity to the ground, the Crawl space is prone to moisture and deterioration. In order to effectively isolate your Crawl space to improve energy efficiency and create a comfortable home, you need to establish a humidity control system. When the humidity sensor detects that the surrounding humidity reaches 60% or above, the under house dehumidifier automatically starts working. When the humidity drops below 50%, the dehumidification system stops working. The entire system is energy-saving and efficient, and can effectively prevent mold growth.

 

Preventing moisture issues in crawl spaces

The best way to prevent these problems will depend on your local climate and the architectural style of your home. However, the following general guidelines for creating a water management infrastructure system apply to most Crawl space designs:

1. Avoid direct contact between all untreated wood and the earth.

2. Provide rainwater drainage, such as drainage ditches, to guide rainwater away from the house.

3. Tilt the soil to a distance of at least 5 feet from the house at the lowest 5% level (3 inches at 5 feet). Establish drainage depressions to guide rainwater to ideal locations around the house.

4. Add an under the house dehumidifier.

5. Install protective film, such as EPDM-type film, to prevent capillary rupture and reduce water absorption from the masonry wall core. This type of film, in addition to metallic glitter, can also serve as a termite shield.

6. The lower layer is moisture-proof to prevent the foundation wall from absorbing ground moisture through capillary action.

7. Install drainage flat materials or place sand and gravel against the foundation wall to reduce static water pressure and divert water into the foundation drainage ditch.

8. Provide a basic drainage system at the bottom of the foundation (indoor grade) instead of the top when the foundation floor is lower than the outdoor grade. Wrap a 4-inch perforated drainage pipe with gravel and cover it with filter cloth.

9. Install a 6-meter polyethylene vapor diffusion barrier through the floor of the Crawl space to prevent soil moisture from migrating to the Crawl space. Overlap and glue all seams by 12 inches. Seal the polyethylene 6 inches away from the wall. As an option, pour 2 inches (51 millimeters) of concrete on top to protect the polyethylene from damage.