Spring in the Triangle usually means a lot of rain and the return of high humidity. But April showers often bring more than May flowers. For some homeowners, it brings standing water in their crawl space and/or basement, which leads to humidity. Humidity is the ideal breeding ground for mold and if left untreated, the mold can spread throughout your house, causing health problems and thousands of dollars in removal fees.
Needless to say, you should never ignore a wet basement.
Before we talk about how to remove water from your crawl space or basement, let’s talk about how it gets there in the first place. Once you get rid of the water, it’s important to fix the underlying issue so it doesn’t happen again.
How Water Gets in a Crawl Space or Basement
Too Much Surface Water
When an area gets too much rain for the ground to absorb, the water makes its way indoors. It has to go somewhere, after all! Since the crawl space and basement are the lowest parts of your home, it only makes sense that that’s where the water goes.
Poor Grading
Your home should be on a slight slope. The land surrounding your home should slope downward at approximately 6-8 inches for the first 6-8 feet. This encourages runoff and makes it harder for water to accumulate around the foundation. If your home isn’t properly graded, make getting it fixed a priority.
Clogged Gutters
When your gutters are clogged with leaves, sticks, and other debris, water can’t flow through them like they’re supposed to. Water builds up and overflows, running right down around the foundation of your home. This is probably the easiest problem to fix: just clean your gutters regularly and it shouldn’t be a problem anymore.
Downspouts too Close to Home
Your downspouts, the bottom part of the gutter that takes water away from your home, should extend at least 10 feet to prevent water from pooling around your foundation. If your downspouts don’t extend that far, water is likely to accumulate around the base of your home and seep into the basement or crawl space. This is another easy fix: simply purchase a length of pipe that matches your gutters or add a splash block under each existing downspout.
Broken Water Lines
You likely have water pipes that run through your basement. If one of these pipes is broken, cracked, or the connectors are loose, you’re guaranteed to end up with a wet basement. Even broken pipes in other areas of your home often cause water to accumulate in the basement since the water always trickles down. Always properly repair broken pipes as soon as you notice the problem.
Cracks in Foundation and/or Walls
Even if you’ve taken care of the above to make sure your basement stays dry, it can’t stay dry if there are cracks in the walls or foundation. Cracks give water an easy way in so always make sure your foundation and walls are free of cracks.
How to Get Rid of Water in a Crawl Space or Basement
If the ground in your crawl space is damp or there is standing water in your basement, time is of the essence. For the majority of projects, calling a professional is the best way to remove the water. At Crawl Space & Basement Technologies, we provide both crawl space waterproofing and basement waterproofing to prevent disaster from striking again. We also offer mold removal services to take care of the entire problem.
Learn more or schedule a consultation by calling 919-847-7072 or by completing our online contact form.