Service
Crawl space repair
Repair comes before sealing. If there is water on the ground, insulation on the ground or wood that reads wet on a meter, those are put right first.
Look before you call, from the hatch
Open the access door on a dry day and shine a strong flashlight in. You are looking for four things: shiny wet soil or puddles, pink or yellow insulation hanging down or lying on the ground, dark or white fuzzy patches on the wood, and water marks on the inside of the foundation walls.
Do not crawl in if there is standing water and wiring down there, and do not disturb anything that looks like mold. Photos from the opening are enough to start the conversation.
The three usual repairs
Problem one
Standing water
First rule out plumbing: with every tap off, watch the water meter for ten minutes. If the dial moves, call a plumber.
Rain water gets in through vents that sit at or below ground level, under the access door, or by soaking through from a yard that slopes toward the house. Outside, the cure is downspouts and grading. Inside, a shallow trench around the edge leads to a sump basin at the low end.
Problem two
Fallen insulation
Fiberglass batts pushed up between the joists soak up humid air, gain weight and drop. Wet batts hold water against the wood on the way.
Stapling new ones up without dealing with the humidity buys a few years. The longer-lasting route is to take the old batts out, dry the space, and insulate the foundation walls once the vents are closed.
Problem three
Damp wood
A moisture meter pressed into a joist gives a percentage. Wood that stays wet for months grows fungus and goes soft.
The repair is to dry it, clean off surface growth, and replace or double up any joist that has lost strength. Beams that have dropped are raised on added supports. Not every waterproofing company does structural carpentry; ask whether they do it themselves or bring someone in.
Small parts that let water in
A rotted access door with a gap at the bottom is an open drain in a storm. Vents below the level of the mulch scoop water in; a plastic well around the vent, or raising the soil line elsewhere and lowering it there, stops that. A dryer duct or a condensate line from the air conditioner that ends under the house adds water every day and should be run to the outside.
Get the readings in writing
Ask the inspector to write down the wood moisture readings, where each was taken, and the humidity of the air on the day. Numbers let you compare two companies, and they let you check a year later whether the repair worked.
Ask what caused the damage, not only what will be replaced. New joists in a space that is still wet are the next repair waiting.
Questions that sort a repair from an upsell
- What is the cause, and which line of the proposal removes it?
- Which items are needed now, and which could wait a year?
- How many joists or feet of beam are being replaced, and with what lumber?
- Will you show me photos of the damaged wood before and after?
- In what order will the work be done, and why?
Crawl space repair questions
Do I repair, or encapsulate?
Usually both, in that order. Repair removes water and damaged material. Encapsulation keeps the space dry afterward. If money allows only one this year, fix the water.
The inspector found termite damage. Is that part of this?
Treating termites is a pest control job and needs its own licensed company. Replacing the wood they damaged can be part of a crawl space repair. Get the treatment done before new lumber goes in.
Montgomery and nearby towns
Ready to have someone look at it?
Call and describe what you are seeing and when it happens. You will be put through to an independent local waterproofing company, and they arrange the visit with you.
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