Exterior Waterproofing for Crawlspace
Exterior Waterproofing prevents water intrusion into a crawlspace.
In order for a crawlspace to be completely waterproof,
it needs to have protection from subsurface water for all of the below grade
walls. All of this protection must span from grade level down to a depth deeper
than the crawlspace floor. Lindsley Waterproofing
uses state-of-the-art waterproofing materials—usually a 56-mil, pliable,
rubber-like membrane to prevent wall penetration of water. Successfully blocking
the sub-surface water from crawlspace walls is not enough. We can’t
just ‘wish’ the water away. We must provide a means of getting
rid of the water that has been blocked by the waterproofing materials. Otherwise
water would build up outside the foundation walls. Water doesn’t stack
very well so it usually finds its way to the crawlspace floor by going under
the foundation. Disastrous floods can, and very often do, occur without a
single drop of water penetrating the crawlspace walls. Waterproofing without
drainage is destined to fail. You’d be better off having good drainage
and no waterproofing!!! (A good roof isn’t even close to being waterproof
but since it drains so well, there’s not a problem.) Crawlspace drainage
is much more difficult—it has to be deeper than the crawlspace floor
which is sometimes quite deep in the ground.
There are two methods of getting rid of the water that waterproofing has blocked
from the walls—installing a gravity drain or installing
a pump system. A gravity drain is a downhill pipe sloped
away from the house. It’s often referred to as a ‘tail line’.
A gravity drain is the preferred method but there must be
a destination for this pipe, or pipes, well below the crawlspace level to
which the water can flow. If there is no such destination on the property,
the second method of water disposal is unavoidable—a pump system
must then be used. Sometimes a pump system is opted for because it costs less
and is easier to install.
Exterior Waterproofing & drainage is by far the best protection
for a crawlspace. It’s used almost exclusively when houses
are being built. However, in ‘retrofit’ situations—not-so-new
houses with established landscaping, connected utilities, air conditioners,
patios, decks, additions, garages, etc., Exterior Waterproofing
can be at best impractical—if not close to impossible.
For a less expensive approach to correcting a wet, flooding or excessively
humid crawlspace, see the section Interior
De-Watering.
For more information and help determining if Exterior Waterproofing is best
for your crawlspace, please contact us to schedule a FREE inspection and consultation.
Why Exterior Waterproofing for a Crawlspace?
Exterior Waterproofing not only prevents flooding
but it also dries out and protects crawlspace walls from deterioration. Exterior
Waterproofing also minimizes humidity inside a crawlspace because
of the dry walls. Humidity in a crawlspace provides a haven for mold, mildew,
& insects.
Without the drainage that comes with Exterior Waterproofing,
below grade water collects around the footings of a foundation. That will
compromise the structural integrity of a house. This can lead to cracked footings,
cracked foundation walls, and costly repairs. Exterior waterproofing
& drainage will prevent water from damaging your home and can save you
tens of thousands of dollars in the long run.
For more information regarding exterior waterproofing & drainage for your
crawlspace, or to schedule a FREE inspection, please contact
us.
The most common BAD ADVICE: “Your crawlspace
will be dry if you fix your gutters, extend buried pipes for your downspouts,
and grade the surface to slope away from the house.” Not really
bad advice to do those things as long as it’s pointed out that
those improvements won’t cure a wet crawlspace problem.
Only when it’s suggested that doing the above will solve a water problem
is it truly misleading advice. A false sense of security can have disastrous
results. Without question every drop of water that’s diverted away from
a house is a good thing. The above steps are a definite improvement. We do
them all the time. Just don’t expect those steps to completely solve
a water intrusion problem. Simple logic explains why it’s just
not enough:
-
If a crawlspace is getting wet, that automatically means
that the in ground protection is failing. That would be a Waterproofing
and/or a Drainage failure.
-
Therefore, when the ground gets saturated, the failure(s)
will be exploited.
-
NO AMOUNT OF GRADING WILL STOP THE GROUND FROM GETTING
SATURATED. (If a sloped surface kept water out of the ground, there would
be no trees, or any other vegetation on the sides of hills or mountains.)
For more information and help determining if Exterior Waterproofing is best
for your basement, please
contact us
to schedule a FREE inspection and consultation.
Interior De-Watering for Crawlspaces
De-Watering is exactly what the name implies—getting
rid of water. It should not be confused with Waterproofing even though most
waterproofing companies offer De-Watering systems. Typically,
when we De-water a crawlspace, we install a drainage system, usually some
type of French drain around the perimeter. Water is intercepted with the system
before it has a chance to create puddles on the crawlspace floor. There are
two methods of getting rid of the water that the perimeter drainage system
has collected—installing a gravity drain or installing
a pump system. A gravity drain is a downhill pipe sloped
away from the house. It’s often referred to as a ‘tail line’.
A gravity drain is the preferred method but there must be
a destination for this pipe, or pipes, well below the deepest level of the
crawlspace to which the water can flow. If there is no such destination on
the property, the second method of water disposal is unavoidable—a pump
system must then be used. Sometimes a pump system is opted for because
it costs less and is easier to install.
De-Watering is rarely the method of choice during home construction—it’s
more likely to be employed for not-so-new houses with established landscaping,
connected utilities, air conditioners, patios, decks, additions, garages,
etc. We refer to these situations as ‘retrofit’ installations.
Over 95% of our business is ‘retrofit’ (going back and re-doing
original systems that failed). Over half of these failed systems are less
than 10 years old; 30% are less than 3 years old, and many are brand
new. Almost all of the failed systems that we replace were originally
installed in complete compliance with local building codes, all
passed inspection.
For more information and help determining if Interior De-Watering
is best for your crawlspace, please contact
us to schedule a FREE inspection and consultation.
Why worry about water in your Crawlspace?
Unlike the people who have wet basement problems, many folks
with wet crawlspaces are unaware of the problem—or don’t think
it’s a bad problem. The symptoms of a wet crawlspace certainly aren’t
as readily apparent as with a flooding basement but the consequences can actually
be worse. Deterioration of the substructure of a house can cost a homeowner
much more than ruined furniture or carpet—and most insurance doesn’t
cover the deterioration because it’s considered a (lack of) maintenance
issue. Heavy moisture, standing water, and/or running water in a crawlspace
can cause many structural problems. They can also invite a build up of mold,
mildew and fungus on sub-flooring, insulation, and on the contents of a crawlspace.
Not only can mold lead to wood-rot and costly repairs, it can be very detrimental
to your health. Lindsley Waterproofing addresses all of those problems.
The most common BAD ADVICE: "Your crawlspace will be
dry if you fix your gutters, extend buried pipes for your downspouts, and
grade the surface to slope away from the house.” Not really bad advice
to do those things as long as it’s pointed out that those improvements
won’t cure a wet crawlspace problem. Only when it’s
suggested that doing the above will solve a water problem is it truly misleading
advice. A false sense of security can have disastrous results. Without question
every drop of water that’s diverted away from a house is a good thing.
The above steps are definite improvements. We do them all the time. Just don’t
expect those steps to completely solve a water intrusion problem. Simple
logic explains why it’s just not enough:
-
If a crawlspace is getting wet, that automatically means
that the in ground protection is failing. That would be a Waterproofing
and/or a Drainage failure.
-
Therefore, when the ground gets saturated, the failure(s)
will be exploited.
-
NO AMOUNT OF GRADING WILL STOP THE GROUND FROM GETTING
SATURATED. (If a sloped surface kept water out of the ground, there would
be no trees, or any other vegetation on the sides of hills or mountains.)
The 2nd most common BAD ADVICE: “Your
crawlspace has a positive drain to let water out so it doesn’t matter
if water is getting in.” You might as well say that it’s ok to
be bleeding as long as you have a rag to wipe off the blood. Positive drains
are outlet pipes at the lowest corner of a crawlspace and are now required
for new homes. They prevent catastrophic flooding in the event that water
somehow gets into a crawlspace. For example, if a pipe or a water heater breaks,
furnaces or other appliances could be ruined if there is not a means to let
water out of a crawlspace. The positive drain limits the depth of the standing
water resulting from the mishap. A positive drain is similar to an air bag—it’s
nice that it’s there but let’s hope that it’s never needed.
The presence of a positive drain absolutely does not mean that it’s
ok for rainwater to routinely invade a crawlspace. By the time that ground
water (which usually enters a crawlspace from the upper sides) finally makes
its way to the lower corner and then out the Positive drain it has already
done its damage. The ground is wet, there is erosion, there are puddles, and/or
the humidity is excessive.
The 3rd most common BAD ADVICE: “You
don’t have any standing water in your crawlspace—it’s only
wet—so there’s no real problem.” It’s a little known
fact that more moisture gets into the air from a square foot of wet soil surface
than from a square foot of standing water. The square foot of standing water
has exactly 1 square foot of water in contact with the air. A square foot
of wet dirt has much more water than that in contact with the air—the
soil acts just like a wick. The amount of water in contact with the air determines
how quickly evaporation takes place and subsequently how humid a crawlspace
can get.
For more information and help determining if Interior De-Watering is best
for your crawlspace, please contact
us to schedule a FREE inspection and consultation.
