Where the water comes from
Rain and runoff
Georgia red clay holds water and drains slowly. After a stretch of storms, the soil around the house stays soaked, and water seeps through block foundation walls or runs in from the uphill side of a sloped lot. Gutters that overflow or downspouts that empty right next to the house make it worse.
Humid air
Many crawl spaces are vented to the outside. In summer, warm, humid air comes in through those vents and meets cooler soil and ductwork under the house. The moisture condenses into water droplets, the same way a cold glass sweats. That is how a crawl space with no leak gets wet insulation and mold on the joists.
Plumbing
Supply and drain lines run through the crawl space. A slow drip from a drain fitting can go unnoticed for months because nobody looks down there.
How to check yours
Pick a dry day and look in with a flashlight, without crawling in if you see standing water.
- Is the ground covered with a plastic vapor barrier, and is it intact?
- Is there standing water or mud?
- Is fiberglass insulation sagging or falling out from between the joists?
- Do the joists and the underside of the floor show dark staining or fuzzy growth?
- Is there a musty smell when you open the access door?
- Are there drips from pipes or condensation on ducts?
If you see standing water, a lot of growth, or anything that looks like sewage, stop there and call for help.
What usually fixes it
- Fix the outside water first. Clean gutters, extend downspouts several feet from the foundation, and make sure soil slopes away from the house.
- Dry it out. If there is water or wet insulation, it needs to be pumped out, the wet insulation removed and the space dried with dehumidifiers. Call us to reach a local crew.
- Treat mold on the wood. Once the wood is dry, surface mold can be cleaned and treated.
- Keep moisture down after that. A full vapor barrier on the ground is the minimum. Some homes also need a sump pit, sealed vents and a crawl space dehumidifier, which together are often called encapsulation.
When it is urgent
Call right away if there is standing water near wiring or the furnace, if a pipe broke under the house, if sewage or septic waste backed up into the crawl space, or if floors above are soft enough to give when you step on them.
Related services in Cumming
- Emergency water removal: Standing water pumped out, carpet and pad extracted, wet drywall opened up and drying started the same day.
- Crawl space water and mold: Standing water and damp air under the house pumped out, dried and checked for mold on joists and subfloor.
- Sewage and septic backup cleanup: Sewage and septic overflows removed, contaminated materials taken out and the area cleaned and sanitized.