Crawlspace flooding can be caused by a number of hidden factors. Fortunately, you can use several methods to alleviate the flooding in your crawlspace and protect the rest of your home and everyone who lives in it.

Gutter and Drain Repairs and Upgrades

In many cases, flooding in your home's crawlspace occurs when the soil surrounding a home and its foundation becomes saturated with rainwater. The excess rainwater that cannot be absorbed by the soil seeps through gaps between your home's foundation and the crawlspace above, causing the crawlspace to become waterlogged and eventually flooded.

If your crawlspace is persistently flooding during wet weather, the first thing you should do is check the condition of the gutters and downspouts fitted to the exterior of your home. If your home is also fitted with ground level French drains or underground storm drains, they should also be inspected, professionally if necessary.

If your gutters and downspouts have been damaged or have started to rust or perish due to age, their ability to direct rainwater away from your home will be undermined, causing more rainwater to seep into the soil surrounding your home.

Blockages in gutters, downspouts, and ground-level drains can also cause problems with saturated soil and should be removed as quickly as possible. Blockages in underground drains should be handled by professionals for safety reasons.

If your gutters and other drainage infrastructure appear to be in good condition, you may need to upgrade them. Wide, high-capacity gutters and supplemental French drains can help channel more rainwater away from your home to prevent crawlspace flooding problems.

Crawlspace Sump Pumps

Sump pumps are commonly fitted in basements to prevent flooding and control excessive moisture, and they are just as useful in crawlspaces. However, many homes with crawlspaces are not fitted with sump pumps at all, leaving them vulnerable to dangerous crawlspace flooding during particularly wet weather. 

If your crawlspace floods during wet weather and is not fitted with a sump pump, having one installed can be an easy, effective, and relatively inexpensive way to control the problem. Crawlspace sump pumps must be carefully positioned to ensure effectiveness, so you should always have sump pumps fitted by professional drainage experts.

If your crawlspace is fitted with a sump pump but your crawlspace is still flooding, you may need to upgrade it to a more powerful model or have an additional pump added.

Foundation Repair

Foundation damage is another potential cause of crawlspace flooding during wet weather and one that should be tackled as quickly as possible to prevent serious and expensive property damage. If the slab of foundation concrete that supports your home is badly cracked, crumbling, or damaged from expansive clay soils, rainwater can pour through these cracks and gaps and into your home's crawlspace, causing rapid and widespread flooding.

If this damage is not rectified swiftly, the condition of your home's foundation will continue to deteriorate, potentially causing subsidence and other catastrophic structural issues. If issues with aboveground drainage systems are not causing your crawlspace flooding problem, you should have your foundations professional inspected and, if necessary, repaired.

By acting quickly and decisively, you can prevent crawlspace flooding from doing serious damage to your property, which will save you a lot of time, effort and money. If you have any more questions about crawlspace flooding problems and drainage solutions, contact the drainage experts at Smith Irrigation today.