South Carolina experiences humid summers and plenty of rain. This can cause water to pool in your crawl space, causing all sorts of issues ranging from mold to wood rot, to musty odors in your home. Installing a crawl space drain can prevent water from collecting in your crawl space. Here’s everything you need to know about CrawlDrain™, the crawl space drain that our team recommends.
How CrawlDrain™ Works
All crawl space solutions should be installed by a professional, as any mistakes can lead to even more damage in your crawl space. Here’s what to expect when your crawl space drain is installed.
- Clearing the Space
Generally, CrawlDrain™ is installed alongside a vapor barrier to provide the best results. For this process to go smoothly, your crawl space will be cleared of any debris that could rupture the barrier and hinder the installation of the crawl space drain. We also remove any standing water in your crawl space at this time.
- Dig a Trench
Once the crawl space is clear, our team will dig a trench around the perimeter of the crawl space for the drain to be placed. The 4-inch-thick pipe will be surrounded by gravel, which works to filter the water slowly and prevent clogging as the drain moves water away from your crawl space.
- Connect to a Sump Pump
As stated before, CrawlDrain™ is designed to work alongside our other crawl space solutions. Once the drain is completely installed, our team will install a sump pump to provide extra protection against standing water. Working together to move water out of your crawl space, the sump pump, vapor barrier, and CrawlDrain™ keep your crawl space completely dry.
What Makes Our Crawl Space Drain Stand Out?
- Uses a 4-inch-thick corrugated and perforated pipe surrounded by gravel that ensures optimal drainage and movement of water away from your crawl space.
- Is extremely adaptable with any of our crawl space solutions in order to provide you with the most efficient means of keeping your crawl space dry
- CrawlDrain™ has a special filter on its hole opening. The filter lets water through while preventing mud and particles from entering the drainpipe. This also decreases the amount of maintenance needed to keep the pipe working.
Signs Your Home Needs a Crawl Space Drain
Standing Water
Standing water can enter your crawl space in multiple ways. If you have faulty gutters or drainpipes, water can get into your crawl space as it overflows onto the ground. Water can also enter through leaks in plumbing pipes or vents. Standing water might also seep up from the ground if the soil around your home is saturated by rainfall or sprinklers. Installing a crawl space drain can prevent all of these scenarios from happening in the first place.
Mold
If water is able to enter your crawl space and pool, mold will eventually form as the water evaporates and makes your crawl space into a humid environment – perfect for mold to grow. Mold can lead to all kinds of problems in your home such as musty odors, respiratory issues, and additional mold growth within your home. Once again, a crawl space drain stops water from collecting in the first place which can prevent mold from growing.
High Humidity
Excess humidity in your crawl space can lead to wood rot, mold, and condensation. All of these can lead to foundation failure and health issues in your home. Not to mention, condensation can destroy insulation and electric wiring in your crawl space which renders these systems of your home useless. Crawl space drains prevent humidity from arising as water is drained from your crawl space which stops it from evaporating over time.
FAQs
Your house’s floorboards are supported by wooden floor joists located in the crawl space foundation. If your floor is sagging, it probably has to do with moisture affecting the floor joists. It’s easy for them to become damaged if your crawl space isn’t waterproof. Wood rot can significantly weaken floor joists, especially in the humid summers of South Carolina. Crawl space drains can mitigate this process.
Most definitely. First, preventing water damage and other moisture-related issues from developing in your crawl space could increase your home’s total worth. If left alone, water will seep into your home’s wood structures, causing wood rot to develop. This is bad news for your property, as structural issues can occur when wood becomes weakened. Not to mention, proper water drainage can stop mold from forming. Otherwise, you and your family could breathe in harmful spores.
Your crawl space is home to multiple systems that keep your home operating properly. When water gets into your crawl space, these systems will become damaged over time. Neglecting even one of these systems can quickly affect the rest of your home. If repeated flooding and standing water causes the foundation to deteriorate, other structures in your home will inevitably be affected. Keeping your home’s crawl space at optimal health is vital.
Call Us for a Free Inspection
As you can see, standing water in your crawl space can become a major hazard over time. Installing a crawl space drain is the best course of action for this problem, and it provides a ton of other benefits as a result. Your home will continue to stay structurally sound, and your family won’t have to worry about health risks related to mold growth or pests. Contact us today so we can help protect your Charleston, Columbia, Greenville, or Savannah home. You don’t have to let crawl space problems creep up on you, stay prepared with any of our crawl space solutions!
