The Pacific Northwest is notorious for its rainy winter months. Seattle had never seen a daily rainfall of 4 inches or more until Oct. 20, 2003, when a torrential 5.02 inches deluged the city—setting a new record for the wettest day in Seattle history. Just four years later, 3.77 inches fell at the height of widespread flooding in Western Washington, placing Dec. 3, 2007 second on the list. The Portland area is not far behind in these records. It seems these storms are becoming more prevalent so if you have experienced crawl space flooding recently…it’s time to call in Crawl Pros!
Many homeowners do not know their crawl space is flooding until days after the storm. To ensure you protect the integrity of your crawl space and eliminate the chance for other damages to occur, you should check in on your crawl space shortly after – or during – a storm to ensure it is kept dry.
Signs Your Crawl Space Is Flooding
Inspecting your crawl space may seem like a hassle … especially if it is pouring rain outside. Checking in on your crawl space during a heavy rain storm may only take a few minutes and can save your home from further damage which will cost more money to remediate in the future.
When the rainy days come, there are a few simple signs you can use to know if you should check for crawl space flooding:
- Water running down the streets of the neighborhood
- Excess water in the front or back yard
- Water pooling up around the base of the house
- Rain gutters and downspouts overflowing
Excess water in the yard – image from Vecteezy
If you don’t get around to checking your crawl space for flooding after a storm, your home may be at risk for additional problems caused by water damage from crawl space flooding. Here are a few signs that your crawl space has water damage:
- Warping of wooden floors
- Moisture on baseboards or walls
- Increase in pests in or around the house
- Musty odors in the house
- Increased energy bills
- Mold growth
You may be wondering, is it bad if there is water in my crawl space? The answer is almost always yes. Crawl space flooding can be the ignitor for a whole host of problems like mold in your crawl space. Mold and mildew growth can lead to increased health risks in your home. Some of the other issues to be aware of after crawl space flooding include:
- Moisture: When moisture is present in the crawl space it can cause long-term structural damage to your home. Crawl space moisture can spread to other areas like wall spaces, under floors, etc. As moisture rises, wood can start to rot.
- Humidity: Mold and mildew multiply with humidity and surface moisture. To combat this issue we install dehumidifiers and fans to circulate the air to help maintain a constant temperature in the crawl space.
- Debris: Crawl spaces often become places where trash and debris collect, as well as animals and their wastes. Mold can follow very easily. We will clean up these areas so you don’t have to do it.
- Pests: A moist and cluttered crawl space can attract pests of all sizes. They can easily find their way into the crawl space and create a home of their own. If pests enter your crawl space, Pest Pros can help rid the crawl space of infestation.
What You Can Do About Crawl Space Flooding While You Call The Professionals
You might think you can solve the winter storm mess on your own. However, cleaning a crawl space and preventing future damage from happening to your crawl space is more complicated than you may think.
Here are a few steps you can take if you find that there is crawl space flooding in your home:
- Take safety precautions. Avoid entering parts of your crawl space that may be dangerous and wear water-resistant clothing.
- Avoid turning on electricity that is in your crawl space. If the crawl space is flooded, the ductwork may also be filled with water. If this is the case, you do not want to turn on your heating system.
- Identify whether there is minor or major flooding. Having an idea of how much water is in the crawl space will help you communicate with the crawl space professionals about the state of the crawl space flooding.
- Remove any valuable objects that are exposed to the water.
- Remove any objects that are blocking the entrance to the crawl space.
Is your crawl space prepared for the winter storms to come? If you are unsure, contact a professional crawl space company like Crawl Pros. We will complete a crawl space inspection and offer expert recommendations on how to properly equip your crawl space for any type of damage.
Crawl Pros Solves Your Crawl Space Flooding Issues
Crawl space flooding almost always requires a multi-step process to ensure your crawl space is thoroughly cleaned and stable. Crawl Space flooding will begin with a clean-out of the current water in the crawl space. Once the water is removed from the crawl space, the space should be repaired to prevent future crawl space flooding.
When you work with Crawl Pros, they will be able to evaluate the damage in your crawl space and provide the best solution to protect your crawl space.
The Crawl Pros process to prevent a flooded crawl space starts with water removal and remediation. Here are just a few steps Crawl Pros will take to prevent a flooded crawl space in the future:
- Install a proper water mediation system to remove excess water space regularly
- Remove excess moisture. Use a pump to remove puddles and flooding and check the grading around your home.
Install French drains and a high-quality sump pump. - Clean-up! Remove wet insulation, and debris and disinfect your crawl space.
- Crawl space encapsulation. Crawl Pros can seal up your crawl space from the ground up – this will help prevent moisture from entering and creating a mess.
If your crawl space is flooded once it may happen again. Frequent flooding is more common in homes located in lowland areas and open spaces where water collects. And, once your crawl space is flooded there may be lingering issues, even if the water has soaked into the ground.
The most efficient way to solve your flooded crawl space issue is to install a sump pump and perhaps even encapsulate the entire crawl space. Sump pumps work to keep groundwater from making its way into your home. Sump pumps can also help remove moisture if it has already made its way into a basement. Although a sump pump will not keep leakage from entering through the walls of a basement, it can help reduce groundwater that may cause or worsen an already existing problem. Crawl Pros offers professional sump pump installation and can provide you with a free estimate to help solve your drainage issues.
Sump Pump Installation
Another option is to completely encapsulate your crawl space. Encapsulation involves installing a 20mil plastic sealed vapor barrier throughout the entirety of your crawl space. Encapsulation, along with a sump pump and humidifiers can help prevent flooding and prevent moisture from causing structural damage to your home and health problems with your family.
We know that crawl space repair costs can add up fast. Our team is happy to discuss the options and the value of the services with you. We also offer a free estimate so that you have an accurate estimate of what the services may cost. Maintaining a regularly maintained crawl space can save homeowners money in the long run.
Contact A Professional Crawl Space Company
Dealing with a flooded crawl space can be an overwhelming experience when handled without professional guidance. To ensure your crawl space is properly cared for and adequately equipped to prevent future damage – contact Crawl Pros. We take pride in our commitment to quality, so much so that we offer a perfect guarantee. Our team of crawl space professionals will work with you to find the most efficient and long-lasting solution.
If you live within the Greater Seattle/Tacoma area or in the Greater Portland area, Receive a free estimate by filling out a form or give Crawl Pros a call today at (866) 789-3599 to learn more about how we can help solve your crawl space flooding issues.