Rainy Days and Damp Crawlspaces Always Get Me Down

Funny, but it seems that I always wind up here with water in my crawlspace. Melodic, don’t you think? Maybe this is how the Carpenter’s would’ve written the lyrics if they lived in the great Pacific Northwest.

With the recent heavy rains and floods, I’m sure that water in the crawlspace is on the minds of more than a couple of people out there. And, if you’re in the market for a new home, listen up, because if this totally unfamiliar territory for you, I might be saving you thousands of dollars down the road. (I only wish that somebody had told me about these things before I made my last house purchase!)

One of the things you should look for when examining homes are potential drainage problems, both on the outside of the house and underneath the house, be it a crawlspace or a basement. On the upside, this is a great time of year to look at homes with this in mind since we are at the height of our rainy season and if you’re going to see any problems, you’re going to see them now. To spot potential water issues:

1. Look at the natural topography of the lot. Are there any sloped areas to the yard, and if so, would water run away from the house or toward the house? Is there an existing drainage system that is sufficient on the outside of the house? If not, is it possible to put in a drainage system that will sufficiently handle any potential waterflow issues on your lot? If your lot is at a lower elevation than any other surrounding lots, you will also want to consider how water might be run off the surrounding yards into your own.
2. Closely examine the crawlspace of the home. I know it’s not pleasant to go down to the crawlspace of a home, but it’s a necessary evil, if you’re going to buy a home. You can do this during the inspection of a home, but if it’s possible to access the area beforehand, you might even want to take a look before you make an offer. When you go down, wear boots, bring a flashlight and wear a mask over your face (I am paranoid, and it can’t  hurt!). Look for signs of mold, water marks which indicate that the area has flooded before, signs of wood deterioration, or the existence of a sump pump. If there is a sump pump in place, is it in working order? Is there a perimeter drainage system around the home leading to the sump pump? While you’re down there, although this is unrelated to water problems, you will want to take not of any mice or rat droppings, torn insulation, or a urine smell. If you sense any of these things, you may have a rodent problem, and you’ll want to tackle this in your offer as well.
3. Inspect the basement for other red flags.  In addition to the obvious signs of water damage that I mentioned above, if the house has a finished basement, new carpet may also be a red flag. I’m a pessimist and when I see new carpet in only one area of the house, I think the worse–is somebody trying to cover something up here?

If you go through the basic checklist above, or if your general house inspector has any uncertainty at all as to the existence of a potential water issue, get an expert to come in and give you an assessment. Even if you think the water damage occured years ago and has been handled, err on the side of caution and have a specialist look. Of course you’ll also want to choose a good contractor, but that’s a whole different blog right there. In fact, it is.