Have you noticed a strange, musty odor in your basement or crawl space? Often, these odors are due to excess crawl space or basement moisture, compromising your home’s structure and your health. Left untreated, moisture can weaken foundations, floor joists, and cause wood rot; and in some cases, it can promote mold growth and compromise your health.
If you’re experiencing excess moisture in your home, don’t turn to internet forums and try to tackle the issue on your own. Although some forums offer great advice, you need to contact a basement waterproofing expert. At Jerry’s Waterproofing, we have professional waterproofing contractors that can locate the source of your moisture problems and eliminate them for good.
7 Steps to Eliminating Crawl Space & Basement Moisture
Fortunately, there are ways you can help prevent crawl space and basement moisture. Here is a list of common mistakes homeowners make, and maintenance tips you can follow:
- Gutters: Clean gutters to divert rainwater from accumulating around your foundation and leaking in.
- Drainage: Install a drainage system to effectively drain water away from the foundation. Installing a sump pump may not resolve the issue, especially if there is no way to divert water around the perimeter to drain the pump.
- Crawl space vents: Moisture levels increase as outdoor air enters crawl space vents. By adding more vents, it emits moisture into the crawl space. The air moves up through the home, affecting the air quality of the entire home.
- Fiberglass insulation: Fiberglass insulation is very porous, therefore it absorbs moisture. The moisture breaks up the insulation, causing it to fall off. It is also a perfect habitat for mold growth and wood rot.
- Vapor barriers applied to joists: When a vapor barrier is stapled onto the joists, the moisture in the air gets trapped. Condensation occurs and causes the wood to rot over time. Contact our professionals so we can properly install vapor barriers.
- Air conditioning systems: A/C units can drain condensation into the foundation. Make sure the air ducts are properly insulated to prevent condensation.
- Poor grading: If your lawn or driveway is improperly graded, it allows water to run toward the home. Increase the height of your foundation to prevent crawl space moisture.
When basement and crawl space maintenance tips don’t solve the problem, we can help. We provide waterproofing solutions to guard your home against water damage in Nebraska and Iowa. Contact us today!
