Should I worry about puddles in crawl space?
 

During rainy season my crawspace usually have several puddles of water.
Since there is no visible leak, I assume this is from rain water seeping
through the lawn and then into the foundation. The puddles are no more than
1.5 inches deep and are not usually visible at a glance because black
plastic sheets cover the entire crawlspace they tend to float on top of the
puddles.

At one corner of the crawlspace is a 1-foot long, 4-inch diameter black
plastic pipe with a cap that leads outside the foundation. This pipe is at
the end of what looks like a man-made water channel. I assume this is a
water drain. There is no puddle around this area.

The house is built in 1985, is there a code that mandates a crawlspace
drain? I'm wondering if I need to do something about the puddles or if it's
ok as long as they don't get worse.

"Peter" wrote:During rainy season my crawspace usually have several puddles of
water.
Since there is no visible leak, I assume this is from rain water seeping
through the lawn and then into the foundation. The puddles are no more than
1.5 inches deep and are not usually visible at a glance because black
plastic sheets cover the entire crawlspace they tend to float on top of the
puddles.

At one corner of the crawlspace is a 1-foot long, 4-inch diameter black
plastic pipe with a cap that leads outside the foundation. This pipe is at
the end of what looks like a man-made water channel. I assume this is a
water drain. There is no puddle around this area.

The house is built in 1985, is there a code that mandates a crawlspace
drain? I'm wondering if I need to do something about the puddles or if it's
ok as long as they don't get worse.


How's the ventilation down there? I'd be concerned about water infiltrating my
foundation...Check for a good grade slope away from the house, all your gutter
downspouts lead well away from the foundation, etc.. Tom
Work at your leisure!

I agree with Tom. Having 1.5 inch puddles in a crawl space can also
lead to so much moisture that you wind up with mold, wood rot, etc.
After checking what Tom suggested, I'd go out in the next heavy rain
and watch how water is getting in. After eliminating water getting in,
if it's still too damp, I'd work on getting lots of ventilation.

Puddlling water in a crawlspoace is definitely a situation that should be
investiagted & corrected.

Depending on you local (I forgot where you are) the problem could be minor
(hardwood floor cupping) or major (dry rot / mold)

In any case find the case & eliminate it.

cheers
Bob

cheers
Bob.
In SoCAl (IMO), with normal ventilation the problem

peter wrote:
During rainy season my crawspace usually have several puddles of water.
Since there is no visible leak, I assume this is from rain water seeping
through the lawn and then into the foundation. The puddles are no more than
1.5 inches deep and are not usually visible at a glance because black
plastic sheets cover the entire crawlspace they tend to float on top of the
puddles.

At one corner of the crawlspace is a 1-foot long, 4-inch diameter black
plastic pipe with a cap that leads outside the foundation. This pipe is at
the end of what looks like a man-made water channel. I assume this is a
water drain. There is no puddle around this area.

The house is built in 1985, is there a code that mandates a crawlspace
drain? I'm wondering if I need to do something about the puddles or if it's
ok as long as they don't get worse.


Just a comment on what I found when I had a similar
problem. I found that the water was infiltrating
through the crawl space entry. I have a brick house,
and the water was getting through the brick , and
trickling along between the bricks and the stem wall to
the crawl space entry, then going in through that. I
fixed mine by putting little dams between the brick and
the stem wall at the entry point, and my crawl space has
been dry ever since.

Of course this may have absolutely nothing to do with
your problem.

Good luck finding the source.

Bill Gill