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Take a look at these pics ... puddles in the crawl space. How serious is this?

Take a look at these pics ... puddles in the crawl space. How serious is this?


  #1  
Old 02-03-14, 05:02 PM
L
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Take a look at these pics ... puddles in the crawl space. How serious is this?

Just bought this home and noticed a bit of mold, you can see in the pics. So I began keeping an eye on the crawl space when it rains. I noticed a little bit of water (more like wet spot) near the one area against the wall. Today we had a hard rain that melted a bit of snow as well. My yard was full of puddles. Most concerning is the side of the house (right outside of where the water comes in). It's flat so a lot of water just sits there. No puddles right against the house, but about 5 feet away from the side. It's clear that the water is seeping in through the block, towards where it meets the floor, just in the one spot pictured (the house is on a slope and this side is the high side)

So I went in the crawl space and snapped these pics. This is the worst I've seen it since we moved in (almost a year). I've done a little research and I think the first step is definitely to get that water outside, away from the home, by way of grading and if needed, extending the two downspouts on each corner further then the 3 feet extenders I have on them. And finally, if water still comes in, perhaps a french drain, though I don't think that'll be necessary.

My questions are: is anything needed inside the crawl space (some kind of sealant / mold removal, something else)? How much of an "emergency" is getting this fixed - if this is the worst its been (and the house is 60 years old)? Who does this kind of work (contractor, landscaper, crawlspace company)?

Any other opinions, advice, comments on the pics is greatly appreciated. I'm slightly panicking over this (and of course I'm broke at the moment and it's Feb. so outside DIYs are tricky).

Sorry for the long post and thanks for any advice.
 
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  #2  
Old 02-04-14, 04:35 AM
J
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Water proofing should be done on the outside of the wall not the inside.
You plan sounds ok but you left out the water proofing.
It can be done with a troweled on foundation sealer or dimpled membrane.
 
  #3  
Old 02-04-14, 01:03 PM
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If the black stuff is mold, then you need a professional mold remediation company come in and get rid of it. What you see now, can make its way to your living area. Stop the water, sure, but get rid of the mold.
 
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Old 02-05-14, 03:06 PM
L
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Thanks, both, for the reply. I believe it is mold but it was hard to tell because it was all wet. Plus I want to fix the problem before I tackle any mold issues.

And I'll look into foundation sealer and dimpled membrane. I have no idea what either of those are, so will do some research. Looks like I'll be doing some digging when it gets a little warmer.

Is this something I should look for a landscaper for? Plumber-type company? Crawlspace company?

thanks again
 
 

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