While all homes are vulnerable to some level of flood damage, there are certain parts of all homes that are more prone to flooding than others. Two of these parts of your home most susceptible to flooding if you have them are your basement and your crawlspace. The notion of basement flooding is something that everyone is familiar with. As the lowest part of your home, your basement is obviously a probable area of flood damage. Crawlspaces, however, are overlooked by many homeowners in flood prevention and mitigation. Thus, we have included important information about crawlspace flooding so you can act preventatively and be prepared for a flood in your crawlspace. Also, we at Southeast Restoration in the Macon area are experienced and qualified in all types of flood and water damage cleanup including crawlspaces.
Why Does Water Get Into Crawlspaces?
The most likely reason for water getting into your crawlspace is that it is pooling near the foundation of your home. This shouldn’t be a problem if the pooling only happens once or happens sporadically. This is due to the fact that most of the water will eventually soak into the ground eliminating the threat. Yet, if the ground becomes too saturated and can’t absorb any more water the water will begin to pool above ground. That water has to go somewhere and will eventually seep through your foundation through any available cracks or holes causing water to fill your crawlspace.
How To Prevent Flooded Crawlspaces
The principles necessary for preventing water damage in your crawlspace are very similar to what you would do to prevent water damage in your basement. Here are a few of the steps you can take:
Prevent Water From Pooling Around Your Foundation
As aforementioned, the best way to prevent crawlspace flooding is to keep water from pooling around your home’s foundation. You can do this by keeping your rain gutters clean and directing water away from your home’s foundation. Also, you should make sure that your lawn slopes away from your foundation. Finally, you’ll just need to keep a close eye on any water pooling near your foundation to be a line of last defense against crawlspace flooding.
Install A Vapor Barrier
A vapor barrier can help prevent many types of different moisture problems in your crawlspace. It may not stop your crawlspace from flooding, but it can help prevent mold growth and other types of water-related damage.
Install A Sump Pump In Your Crawlspace
Sump pumps are common devices many homeowners own use. Their function is to capture groundwater at risk of ending up in your crawlspace and pumping that water out of the area to a safe place. Sump pumps are fairly affordable and are definitely worth the investment as they are one of the best ways to prevent and mitigate flood and water damage.
We hope the information above will help you prevent all future incidents of crawlspace flooding. Nonetheless, if you find your crawlspace flooded, we at Southeast Restoration in Macon are just a call away from helping you fi the problem!
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