Where Does Crawl Space Moisture Originate?

By: Crawlspace Depot

crawlspacedepot.com

The main sources of crawl space moisture are from:

• Outside air – warm, moisture-saturated air brought into the cooler crawl space from open vents can become a major source of excessive moisture in the crawl space. Why? When warm, moist air cools in the crawl space, it no longer has the ability to hold as much moisture. When this very wet air touches a cooler surface, the water vapor condenses (dew point) and water forms on those surfaces.
• The ground – poor drainage in the crawl space can be the main source of moisture. This can be easily seen in some of the more obvious cases. Pooled water in the crawl space or poor drainage add to the crawl space moisture problem from saturated soil caused by poor drainage.
• The foundation – below grade foundations may not have properly designed drainage. This can be seen in moist cinder blocks or concrete foundation walls. The moisture from the saturated foundation adds to the crawl space moisture level.

Problems Created From Excessive Crawl Space Moisture

Excessive crawl space moisture can cause many structural issues to occur in your home and it can also lead to health issues caused by molds. The following structural issues associated with excess moisture are reduced or eliminated by properly closing a crawl space:

• Insect damage
• Air quality issues
• Wood rot
• Swelling of doors and windows