Water in Your Crawl Space After Rain?

Many homes around Charlotte and Monroe sit over a crawl space. After heavy rain, water can collect there without anyone noticing until the house starts to smell musty or the floors feel different. Here's what's normal, what isn't, and when to get your crawl space and subfloor checked. Master Restoration serves Charlotte, Concord, Indian Trail, Matthews, Monroe, Stallings and Waxhaw.

Signs of Water in Your Crawl Space

• A musty or earthy smell inside the house, especially in lower rooms
• Floors that feel soft, bouncy or uneven, or wood floors that cup
• Higher humidity or condensation inside the home
• Standing water, wet soil or puddles on the vapor barrier
• Insulation that is wet, sagging or falling down
• Mold or dark staining on joists and subfloor

Common Causes

• Heavy rain and grading: soil that slopes toward the house sends water underneath.
• Gutters and downspouts: overflowing gutters or downspouts that dump next to the foundation.
• Plumbing leaks: supply or drain lines that run through the crawl space.
• HVAC condensation: sweating ducts or a condensate line draining under the house.
• Groundwater: a high water table after long stretches of rain.

What's Normal and What Isn't

Some dampness after a big storm can happen. Standing water, water that comes back after every rain, wet insulation, or a musty smell in the house is a sign that moisture is staying under the house. That can affect the subfloor, framing and floors above. For other warning signs, see our signs of water damage checklist.

What to Do

1. Don't go into a crawl space with standing water if there's any electrical risk.
2. Take photos from the access door if you can do it safely.
3. Check gutters and downspouts and make sure they drain away from the house.
4. Book an inspection to check moisture in the subfloor and framing.

How We Help

We inspect the crawl space, take moisture readings on the subfloor and framing, and photograph what we find. Standing water is removed and the area is dried. If the subfloor was damaged, we repair it in-house once everything is dry. See stormwater removal and rebuilding after water damage for more. For coverage questions, see our water damage insurance help page. Haven't filed a claim yet? We offer a free inspection before you file, so you know what you're dealing with when you talk to your insurer.

Master Restoration serves homeowners in Charlotte, Concord, Indian Trail, Matthews, Monroe, Stallings, and Waxhaw. See all the North Carolina areas we serve for more.