Many homes on the Eastern Shore of Maryland suffer from water in their crawl space or basement due to the high water table and groundwater intrusion in the area. For these homes, the only way to maintain a clean, dry, and healthy crawl space is to implement a drainage system.
Chesapeake Bay homeowners are often tempted to take an “out of sight, out of mind” approach to seemingly difficult home improvement projects. In the case of the crawl space or basement, however, that would be a hazardous mistake. Waterproofing measure and a drainage system must be installed before other measures are taken to resolve water issues of this magnitude.
Keep Water Out of Your Crawl Space or Basement
There would be no point in installing a vapor barrier, or sealing cracks and holes that let in air if large quantities of water were still able to get into the crawl space area. Ignoring the water and moving ahead with other solutions would only cover up the source of your wet crawl space, allowing the water to rot wood, encourage mildew and mold and affect your home’s indoor air quality. A crawl space with standing water several times a year is a sign of real systematic issues–and a likely indicator that structural damage is developing. Don’t wait on this!