Moisture in the crawl space

The cause of moisture in the crawl space may be due to a variety of causes. Below you will find some.

Moisture in the crawl space

The cause of moisture in the crawl space may be due to a variety of causes. Below you will find some.

• Soil moisture
• Poor drainage
• Poor drainage of rainwater
• Leakage from water pipes
• Under pressure
• Flower Benches

Soil moisture

Soil moisture is created when water rises via the soil in the creep ground through so-called capillary force. This is often due to the fact that there is too dense material in the ground which allows water to rise upwards. To remedy this, you can exchange material for gravel with a size of 8-16. Changing materials involves a lot of work. You can also roll out construction plastic on the ground which prevents water from coming up.

Poor drainage

If the soil around the crawl ground is poorly drained or in the worst case that the ground is leaning towards the house, there will be major problems with moisture in the crawl ground. Make sure that the ground slopes from the house at least 3 meters and that you have a working drainage around the whole house.

Poor drainage of rainwater

A common reason for getting moisture and water in the crawl space is that the drain pipe is not led away from the house and instead just ends down at the base. As a result, when it rains, the water eventually seeks down into the crawl space. Make sure to drain the water from the drain pipes well away from the house. Also, as a habit, clean gutters from leaves.

Leakage from water pipes

A leaking water pipe can be difficult to detect before it is too late. The leak can be several meters from where it drops water. Often this problem sneaks up and causes very costly measures.

Underpressure

If a large vacuum is formed in your crawl space during the summer, hot and humid air will be sucked in from the house or outdoors. As a result, the warm humid air is cooled down in the crawl space and condenses against cold surfaces.

Flower Benches

Flowers around the house foundation are beautiful, but there is a great risk of moisture problems in the soil. When the flowers are watered, water is likely to trickle down to the creeping ground and cause moisture with mold as a result.

Take the habit of inspecting your crawl space at least once a year

Now don't be intimidated by houses with a crawl space. There are many benefits of a crawl space. Above all, it is much easier to cause a fault or damage compared to the cast plate.

But take as a habit at least once a year to crawl into the ground with a flashlight and inspect pipes and that no traces of water have run in. Carefully check the sill around the edge of the crawl space for mold. The mold is often called white mold.

White mold in a crawl space

I have problems with moisture in the crawl space, what should I do?

If you find that you have problems with moisture or, in the worst case, mold, it is important to first address the cause of the problem and replace moldy and moisture-damaged material. This measure is often the part of the work that takes the most time and costs the most money.

After you fix the problem, it is important to prevent it from getting any more problems in the future. By installing a crawl space humidifier, you ensure that the moisture content is at a harmless level. Make sure you buy a dehumidifier with an external control panel that gives you easily accessible moisture and temperature information. Also, make sure that the dehumidifier can alert when it is time to change filters and if for any reason the dehumidifier cannot keep the moisture below a harmless level.