If you've recently put in a new driveway, patio, or retaining wall and now your crawl space gets wet every time it rains, you may have created a drainage issue. A wet crawl space can be a serious problem since it leads to mold, rotting wood, and insect invasions. There are options for crawl space waterproofing that can address your specific problem. In some cases, putting in an exterior drain might be the solution. Here's how it helps.

A Drain Diverts Water From The Crawl Space

If water is getting in because of a drainage problem, then putting in a drain might help because it moves the water elsewhere before it reaches your crawl space. Putting in a drain involves digging a trench in your yard along your house so the drain can be buried. The drain has slots in the top so water can get inside the pipe to be drained away, and when the drain is installed, it's covered with gravel and soil so it is out of sight. The only part you might see is the opening near your curb where the drain empties in the street.

When A Drain Might Be The Best Solution

You might have a low crawl space that makes it nearly impossible to do any work in it. It might be hard to do interior waterproofing under those conditions. If interior waterproofing is not a good solution, then putting in an exterior drain might be the best way to keep water out of the area. First, your contractor has to decide what's causing the water problem. Water can also rise from the soil in the form of water vapor and create moisture and dampness in the crawl space. In that case, stretching out a vapor barrier could be the better choice no matter what size the crawl space is.

A Drain Prevents Puddles When It Rains

A drain could be the best choice when the crawl space only gets wet when it rains. Keeping water out of the space is important because it takes a crawl space a long time to dry out. When puddles form in the dirt floor due to rain draining under the house, that increases moisture in the air and contributes to problems with mold, foul odors, and wood decay.

The first step in fixing a wet crawl space is to call a contractor for an evaluation of the problem. Then, the best solution can be recommended. An exterior drain might be the right choice, but if not, there are other waterproofing methods to try, such as encapsulation or putting in an interior drain. Get started today by calling businesses like Central Penn Waterproofing.

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