Hey everyone! I'm dealing with a frustrating issue in my crawl space after a heavy storm. There's a small area, roughly 3 feet by 5 feet next to a foundation wall, where I'm getting about 1-2 inches of water. It gradually soaks into the ground over a week, and the humidity in the crawl space is around 50%. The wall that's letting the water in doesn't have gutters, so I plan to install those and add some piping to direct the water away from the house. However, a foundation company suggested I need to spend $9,000 on a full sump pump system along my entire foundation, which feels excessive for such a small amount of water. What are your thoughts and suggestions?
3 Answers
I had a similar problem just with a basement instead of a crawl space. I installed gutters and got the water moving away from my house, and it took some time, but it worked! I spent only about $100 and now my basement's been dry for years. So don’t get too discouraged—sometimes simple fixes are all you need!
Sounds like you’re on the right track with the gutters! Making sure your ground is sloped away from the house can really help prevent water from coming in. If it continues despite those changes, consider adding a French drain as a backup measure. It's always better to stop water at the source than to deal with it later!
After my first year with 2 feet of water in my crawlspace, I installed a sump pump and it made a huge difference. Don’t ignore those inches—you don't want that 1-2 inches to escalate. Get quotes from waterproofing and gutter specialists. If you can swing it, try to tackle both!
Absolutely, I’m thinking of doing gutters first and possibly a sump pump later if needed. Gotta stay ahead of the water!
Thanks! It helps to hear that yours worked out well. I'm hoping the gutters will really make a difference without having to spend a fortune on a sump pump.