Send us Letters or Questions
Send your letters to the HBA at salkind@hbasc.com with Dear Hammer Head in your subject.
Dear Hammer Head,
How do I avoid having a pond in my crawlspace when all of this snow melts?
There are several ways to either prevent or mitigate water infiltration into your crawlspace. The most proactive measure you can take is having foundation waterproofing and a foundation drain installed. The soils against your home will need to be carefully excavated to expose the foundation walls. At that point, there are several membrane or spray-applied products that can be installed on the foundation walls to keep water out. At the base of your foundation walls, a system of perforated pipe surrounded by free-draining material, wrapped in fabric to prevent clogging, will then be installed to transport water away from your home. When the soils are put back in place, be sure that there is a good slope away from your home. A layer of compacted clay will also help surface water from infiltrating as well.
If you’re only dealing with a little dampness, that solution is probably a too extreme. In that case, you can have a fan installed in your crawlspace to actively move air though this space and dry things out. This fan can easily be tied to a de-humidistat so it will only work when needed, without you having to constantly monitor it. Another measure might be to create a low point in the crawlspace and have a sump pump ready and waiting in the event that water does get in. This provides a quick way to remove it, and is a good idea for homes built near rivers or streams where the ground water levels can affect your crawlspace.
Please do not hesitate to call with more specific questions on this topic.
Frank Enea of ClassiqueBilt
(970) 247-3333 phone
(970) 247-2400 fax
(970) 759-6821 cell
