Wet Shady Space Under House

17 years ago

OK, since you were all so helpful with my rock-garden-ish area last year (BTW, you were right...it IS looking a lot better and the neighbors DON'T look at me so funny anymore! Yay!), I have a new interesting situation. I posted this in response to yomamanem's awesome pix of the sunken garden, but thought maybe I'd throw it out to all of you:

We added onto our house (on a fairly decent grade situation) and ended up with a BIG "crawlspace" on one end. (9 feet high) It's big enough to close in for a nice basement and that's what we originally intended. But, it stays too wet under there, in our opinion, to really make a good, liveable space. It CAN actually puddle (but takes a LOT of rain to make that happen, being that we've french drained the everlovinheck out of it), but mostly it's just got really damp spots. We're not comfortable closing it in all the way and finishing it.

Would it be crazy to go in there with several inches of gravel (drainage) and maybe (I know this is nuts) plant through the gravel to the soil below, using shade plants that like wet feet? It IS pretty dark under there because we did enclose it with the foundation block (and brick), but there is a window cut out (not yet paned) and extra large double-door space cut out (originally intended for two big steel doors), so there is access. All of the actual under-the-house stuff (furnace, etc) is actually further on under the house through a door in the back of this space I'm talking about.

So:

A) Is this a dumb idea? (ie: Am I just creating a big snake haven? Or, wouldn't it already BE a snake haven frankly?)

B) IF it's not a dumb idea, what kinds of plants (ideally evergreen, for shade, wet feet-types) would you put in there? I DON'T want to be going in there for maintenance much (scared of what might jump out at me), but this big bricked off "room" under my house is just bothering me.

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Comments (7)

rjinga
17 years ago
hmmmm, have no personal experience with this, nor have any idea of it's requirements, but the first thing that came to my mind was mushrooms? I'd be as afraid as you to plant stuff down there and not know what might jump out. Can you do any kind of lighting?
mk87
Original Author
17 years ago
Y'know, I guess I could put some light down there...I don't know why I didn't think about that before. But, there would still probably be a snake problem. I guess it's a bad idea...
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Iris GW
17 years ago
The problem with plants that tolerate wet areas is that sometimes they like it so much that they get aggressive. Sensitive fern, for example, would probably like it, but in a couple of years it might be in places that you don't want it.

Abundant moisture can bring out the thug in some plants.

Supposedly Cast Iron Plant is tolerant of wet, but I have no information on it's ability to colonize an area.

Here is a link that might be useful: Plants that like damp
rjinga
17 years ago
could you enclose it, say with a clear plexi glass type material? And make some kind of terrium in there? Add the lights, the enclosure should keep the critters out...
mk87
Original Author
17 years ago
Hmmm...now that's an interesting idea...I must admit, I hadn't thought of that. I mean, it's "enclosed" already anyway, almost. With the brick-covered foundation block. But, I have that big double door space (was originally planning for steel doors) and that window that's not paned yet... thinking...
girlgroupgirl
17 years ago
Do you have house OVER this area?
If you have house over the area, I'd be very concerned with mold, mildew, rot and termites.
Personally, I think you should have the problem professionally corrected. It really sounds like the french drains and the grading need some correction.
We have gotten a bit of water into our new stairwell addition. There are some French Drains, and the whole structure was totally waterproofed except for the "pit" (gravel pit which is the base under the concrete used for the stairway footing) - water is seeping into there and clearly we need to do more work for drainage, and make more corrections. When it rains I watch carefully the patterns of where water comes in and I take photos so that the contractor will have a very good idea of where we need to make improvements.

Last thing you need is to make the addition you invested in a liability.
mk87
Original Author
17 years ago
GGG - Yes, there is house over it. It's VERY frustrating and we would LOVE to have the problem professionally corrected. But, we literally cannot find anybody to come out and do that! The french drains that we had the contractor put in helped a lot, but it still is a moist space...not puddling water anymore, which is good...but still not...quite right. We have gone through the phone book and just called everybody and nobody knows what to do. LOL I wish there were some drainage professionals on this forum! :)