Is It Normal to Have Water in Your Crawl Space?

When it comes to crawl spaces, most people take an out of sight and out of mind approach. However, ignoring your crawl space can turn into a big problem if water gets inside of it. While having water in your crawl space can happen from time to time, it should never be a normal occurrence. Find out more about why water in your crawl space can be an issue and its main causes.

Why Is Water in My Crawl Space a Problem?

Whether you have water in your crawl space after heavy rain or from a leaky pipe, it’s an issue you should immediately take action on. Since your home’s crawl space is located on your home’s foundation, standing water in it can damage any wooden beams or concrete foundations underneath your home. If standing water is left unchecked, it can end up weakening your home’s structure and make it unsafe to live in your house.

Besides the potential for standing water to harm your home’s structure, even a little bit of water can lead to other issues. Many pests, such as cockroaches, crickets, mold mites, spiders, and even termites, are attracted to damp spaces, making water in your crawl space unacceptable. If the water attracts termites, they could even start to eat into your home and damage it. 

Alongside attracting pests, water in your crawl space can cause mold and mildew growth. Both mold and mildew can affect your home’s air quality, leading to chronic health conditions for those who live there. Due to the potential health hazards to yourself and damage to your home, water in your crawl space is never normal and should be removed immediately.

What Causes Water in My Crawl Space? Do I Have a Plumbing Leak?

While a plumbing leak can cause water to accumulate in your crawl space, there are several other reasons why it might be occurring. Find out more about the main causes of water in a crawl space below:

• Higher Elevation: A raised foundation home is built by digging a hole where the house will sit and pouring the foundation around the perimeter of the hole. The hole becomes the crawl space. Now the elevation around the house is always higher than the crawls space. This makes for a perfect catch basin for any extra water accumulating around the house.
• Leaking vent wells or windows: Many crawl spaces include windows and vents that can start to develop gaps in them. These gaps can allow water to leak inside your crawl space. Fortunately, a quick vent or window repair can usually fix this issue.
• Overwhelmed or clogged yard drains and gutter down spouts: Water in a crawl space after heavy rain is a fairly common occurrence that can become a problem if it overwhelms your yard drains. When your drains are overwhelmed, they could allow the water to flood your crawl space and harm your home. Besides the danger of overwhelmed drains, clogged drains can also be a problem, as they won’t even allow light rain to escape. If your drains get easily overwhelmed or you suspect they’re clogged, you’ll want to hire a drain professional to inspect them. If the yard drains are plugged, running the sprinklers any time of year can cause the crawl space to flood
• Leaking or burst pipes: A leaking or burst pipe in your crawl space can cause water or sewage to form in your crawl space. Besides potentially damaging your crawl space and structure with leaking water, a damaged pipe can cause other plumbing issues in your home. When a drain is broken, human waste or waste from the laundry, showers, sinks and garbage disposals can drain under the house—potentially creating a hazardous condition. This type of waste can accelerate mold growth while attracting spiders, insects, and rats. As a result, you’ll want a plumber to handle the problem immediately. 
• Cracked foundation: When you have water in your crawl space, it can cause your house to develop cracks in the foundation. Foundational cracks can actually make the water in your crawl space worse. These openings allow water into your crawl space, creating issues like rotted wood, mold, and structural damage. This water will also attract tree roots and give them resources to grow—further threatening your foundation. A professional will need to locate any cracks or gaps and seal them for you to fix this issue.  
• Poor grading: If your home wasn’t properly graded, water can often struggle to drain away from your foundation and crawl space. As a result of improper grading, water can build up against your foundation and leak into your crawl space after heavy rain or flash flooding. If the problem persists, you could end up with a flooded crawl space and structural damage. In the short term, you’ll want to hire a professional to immediately remove the water, and in the long term, you might want to correct your home’s grading.

How Do I Remove Water in My Crawl Space?

Due to the many reasons your crawl space could be filled with water, it’s usually best to hire a plumbing professional to inspect the crawl space. If there are natural reasons for the water, Bonney can install a pump system to remove the threat from your home. Otherwise, they can fix the plumbing issue at its source. 

Choose Bonney for Crawl Space Water Removal and Repairs in Greater Sacramento

If you’re looking for crawl space water removal and repair services in Sacramento, California, turn to Bonney. Our team of plumbing and drain experts can inspect your crawl space to discover the source of the water and fix the issue for you fast. Alongside providing water removal and repair services, we offer various coupons and discounts to ensure you receive the best price possible. Review our water main and water line services to learn more about how we can fix leaks and other issues in your crawl space. If you’re ready to schedule an appointment or have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out.