Need help: Water in crawl space

11 years ago

My husband and I are still within our first 6 months in our (new to us) 1959 ranch home. The original area of the house sits on a crawl space with a sump pump, but the addition the previous owners added sits on a slab. We're having issues with water regularly finding its way into the crawl space and causing mold. What can we do above ground to keep the water from getting into the crawl space? All drains redirect the water at least 10' from the house.

Featured Answer

PRO

Brickwood Builders, Inc.

11 years ago

You should be able to find a reputable company that can come in to review the issues and make recommendations. Most professional remodelers could assist you and if they do not do the work themselves, would know reputable people for you to contact.

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Comments (6)

Theresa Holt
11 years ago
Look at your house disclosure paper work. If they did not disclose this issue you can take them to court.
hayleydaniels
11 years ago
You need to have a sump pump in the new addition. Your home no doubt is built in either a flood plain, marsh or very low land that routinely floods so the fact that the water is in the crawl space in the new section is hardly surprisely. I live in a reclaimed marsh but my lot is a bit higher than a lot in the neighborhood that have routine flooding in the crawl space. There's next to nothing you can do about it except put a sump pump there, and do everything you can to keep your crawl space dry.
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Rich & Amy McNeil
Original Author
11 years ago
Thanks for your comments. Unfortunately I cannot use either. :(
The previous owner never took residence in the house as he bought it with the intention of flipping it for a profit; therefore, he never had to disclose anything that wasn't on the original deal.

The house is also not in a flood plain, but is on a hill.... granted, we do sit on the downward slope of the hill. We have a sump pump in the crawl space, and we're about to have it repaired. My concern is the patio slab is collecting water underneath the concrete and leaking into the crawl space.

I appreciate the advice! Keep the ideas coming. Anyone know anything about re-directing drainage? ditches? trenching?
bubbasgma
11 years ago
garden web dot com.
hayleydaniels
11 years ago
This is kind of out there ideawise, but it happened at an apartment building the nonprofit homeless organization I worked for years so I know it's feasible. Check to make sure you don't have a break in the plumbing, and water or sewage is filling your crawl space. What happened this the apartment complex was that it was new, and the elbow joints on the sewage pipes weren't put on securely enough so when some young mothers decided to flush their baby's soiled diapers, the pressure eventually causes the joint to come loose. For several months all their sewage flowed into the crawl space until the a couple of other tenants couldn't take it and demanded something be done. There were 10,000 gallons of raw sewage under that triplex by the time it was discovered.