Tips On Crawlspace Waterproofing

Whenever a home is built, there are generally very few options as far as the foundation of the home is concerned. In some cases, a full basement may be added to the home and can add to the living space and the value of the home. A full basement may not always be desired by the builder and in this case a crawlspace will typically be added. The only other option is to put the house directly on a slab but this is usually only done whenever you live in an area that has a high water table and a crawl space is not practical.

It is obvious that having a full basement with water trouble can cause a lot of problems. Having a crawl space that has moisture in it or outright floods from time to time can also cause a lot of problems as well. It doesn't typically destroy any of your belongings because they aren't usually stored in the crawl space.

Unless you have some form of crawlspace waterproofing in place, you may end up with a lot of mold spores in your living area as a result that moisture. This can cause a variety of different allergy problems as well as being very destructive to your household items over time.

Crawlspace waterproofing can be done in a number of different ways. Of course, it is always best if the waterproofing is done before the area is backfilled around the walls. Not only is it more convenient to get to, the waterproofing that is done on the outside of the walls is often stronger than that which is done on the inside, forming an effective barrier against any moisture that comes its way.

Still, it is possible for you to put some waterproofing paint on the inside of the walls although it is going to be a bit difficult to move around in your crawlspace in order to paint.

If your crawlspace outright floods from time to time, it may be necessary for you to divert any water that gathers around the foundation to a lower area. This is typically done with the use of a French drain, a plastic tube with holes in it that is put around the outside bottom of the foundation, gathering any water that collects and moving it to another area. This is the most effective form of crawlspace waterproofing that can be done if flooding is a problem.