Crawl space repair

Repair is for a crawl space that is already in trouble: water lying on the ground, insulation hanging down, wood gone soft. Sealing the space comes later. Putting right what is damaged comes first.

Call (973) 555-0118

You will be put through to an independent local waterproofing company. Calls may be recorded.

A look from the hatch

You can learn a good deal without going in. Open the access hatch and shine a strong flashlight along the ground and up at the joists. Do not crawl in if there is standing water near wiring.

Puddles, mud, or a tide line on the walls or piers.
Insulation sagging between the joists or lying on the ground.
White or grey fuzz on the wood, or dark staining.
Rust on duct straps, pipe hangers and nail heads.
A sour, earthy smell the moment the hatch opens.

Take photographs. They let you describe the space accurately on the phone.

What goes wrong, and what the repair is

Standing water

A shallow trench is dug round the inside of the walls, a perforated pipe is laid in it, and it is led to a small sump basin with a pump. Outdoors, the downspout, slope or leaking hatch that let the water in is corrected.

Fallen or sodden insulation

Fibreglass batts soak up damp air, grow heavy and drop. They are bagged and taken out. New insulation normally goes on the walls as rigid board once the space is dry.

Damp wood

A moisture meter shows whether a joist is merely damp or has begun to decay. Damp wood recovers when the space dries. Surface mould is cleaned off after the moisture is under control.

Soft or split joists

A weakened joist has a new length of lumber fastened alongside it. A rotted section of sill or beam is cut out and replaced, with the floor propped while it is done.

A floor that dips or bounces

Extra posts on proper footings are set under the beam. If the dip is there because a foundation wall has shifted, that is structural work for a different contractor; mention it when you call.

The order matters

A proposal that jumps straight to the last step over standing water is skipping the hard part.

Stop the water arriving
Roof and yard water is steered away from the walls of the crawl space.
Get out what is already there
Drain, pump, and time for the ground to dry.
Mend the wood
Reinforce or replace what has decayed, while every piece can still be reached.
Clear and clean
Wet insulation and debris out; mould treated.
Then seal
Only now is the space ready for a liner and dry air.

Get these answered in writing

Which pieces of wood will be reinforced or replaced, counted or measured, not described as “as needed”.
What moisture readings were taken in the wood, and where.
Whether the cause of the water is being corrected or only its effects.
Whether new posts or beams need a building permit, and who applies.
Who hauls away the old insulation and debris.