| There is no doubt; I live in a very wet place. From | | | | plastic to keep the light from vents from sprouting |
| November to March we get an average of nearly | | | | seeds in the soil. The recommended thickness is six mil. |
| seven inches of rain a month in Olympia, WA. This | | | | This plastic will help to keep moisture in the soil from |
| deluge can lead to many homes having standing water | | | | moving up into the crawl space air and into the wood |
| under them. A one-time event may not do damage, | | | | sub-structure and the home. It is a very important part |
| but constant or re-occurring water "events" under your | | | | of the moisture lowering effort. |
| home can cause a lot of problems. | | | | Next, check your roof. Do all roof areas have proper |
| Standing water can lead to moisture issues in the | | | | gutters that drain into downspouts? If gutters are |
| wood sub-structure. Wood rot and pest infestation are | | | | missing or damaged, have a licensed gutter contractor |
| common results of moisture under a home. Like all | | | | install new ones. They are relatively inexpensive and |
| animals, wood-destroying organisms (WDO's) need | | | | an important component of your homes water control |
| shelter, food and water to survive. If they can find a | | | | system. |
| ready source of water in your home it often | | | | Check all the gutter downspouts around the home. If |
| completes the list of needs for them to thrive. One | | | | they end next to the home, extend them out away |
| common WDO here in Western Washington is the | | | | from the foundation with splash blocks or |
| Anobiid beetle. This is a very destructive little insect | | | | non-perforated pipes. Depending on the grade and |
| and makes its home in wood with moisture contents | | | | slope next to the home different measures will be |
| between 14-20%. If there is standing water under a | | | | needed to get the water away. |
| home, the wood in that crawl area will likely be in that | | | | That leads to the next step. Check the slope and |
| range. Other WDO's that are attracted to moist or | | | | grade. You want the soil around the home to slope |
| rotting wood include: carpenter ants, dampwood | | | | away from the foundation for a minimum of six feet to |
| termites, subterranean termites, wood rot fungus and | | | | carry water away. Adding soil around the foundation is |
| moisture ants. | | | | the easiest way to achieve this but remember not to |
| High moisture levels can also lead to mold production | | | | allow the siding to be closer than six inches from the |
| and poor indoor air quality. Most mold species require | | | | soil. That air space is recommended to allow the |
| high relative humidity or moisture content to grow. At | | | | bottom edges of the siding to dry out. If there is not |
| 60% indoor relative humidity (RH) air enters the | | | | room to add additional soil a swale will need to be dug |
| mold-formation risk zone, which is conducive to mold | | | | out away from the foundation to allow for the proper |
| growth. Wood reaches this zone at about 20% | | | | slope. |
| moisture content. Standing water under your home | | | | Next check the crawl area vents. Are they level with |
| may likely produce these levels in floor joist, sub-floors | | | | the ground? Can water flow into them and enter the |
| and even carpets above. | | | | crawl area? Many hardware stores carry concrete |
| The first question to answer is "is there a water issue | | | | wells designed to fit up against the foundation and hold |
| under my home?" You can check this out yourself, or | | | | soil back away from these vents. Using these in some |
| hire someone to do a maintenance inspection of your | | | | areas may allow you to add soil to create slope with |
| home. | | | | out covering the vents. |
| If there is a water issue, I recommend following a | | | | With these simple measures in place, let it rain! You |
| logical progression of changes that will dry out that | | | | had a base line from the last storm when there was |
| area and keep the water from returning. I am | | | | water under your home. Check it again. If there is no |
| reminded of a problem I had with my first car. It ran | | | | water, congratulations! You have likely fixed the |
| rough shortly after buying it. My neighbor was an | | | | problem. Check it again from to time to time after big |
| aspiring mechanic and offered to diagnose and fix it | | | | rain events to verify that the crawl area stays dry |
| with me. "It's the timing chain," he proclaimed after a | | | | regardless of the weather. |
| quick look. We spent eleven hours in my parent's | | | | If you find that there is still water under you home it is |
| garage in freezing temperatures changing it. When all | | | | time to call a licensed drainage contractor. Explain to |
| was said and done, the car still backfired and ran very | | | | him or her what you have done to improve the |
| poorly. My father came out and asked, "Did you check | | | | drainage and ask what they recommend next. |
| the distributor cap?" Replacing that five-dollar part was | | | | Whenever hiring a contractor I recommend getting a |
| all that was needed to have it running smoothly. | | | | referral from a friend or co-worker. Additionally, ask |
| Besides never letting my friend work on my car again, I | | | | the contractor for references and call them to find out |
| learned a valuable lesson. Start with the simple, | | | | if the problem was fixed by the work performed and |
| inexpensive things first when correcting or fixing a | | | | what it was like to work with this person. You only |
| problem. I like to mix this with another great axiom | | | | want to pay for this service once. |
| when solving a house problem, go from gross to | | | | A drainage contractor will evaluate the site for |
| subtle. Fix the obvious things first, then move to the | | | | conditions contributing to the water problem. Are there |
| more obscure. | | | | slopes above the foundation that shed large amounts |
| If the answer is "yes, there is water under my home", | | | | of water down against the home? Was the home built |
| you have a baseline of information, a starting point. | | | | in a low spot? What are the soil types? Where do the |
| Here is a series of suggested steps to keep the area | | | | downspouts drain? The contractor may suggest |
| dry in the future. I recommend doing these steps first | | | | measures such as new downspout drain lines, dry |
| and then check to see what results were achieved | | | | wells for down spout drains, sump pump drain |
| after the next big rain. | | | | systems under the home, a curtain drain, etc. If the |
| First, make sure there is a plastic vapor barrier | | | | contractor is knowledgeable and performs quality |
| covering all the dirt under your home. Preferably, black | | | | work most water issues can be solved. |