We waterproof hundreds of crawl spaces a year and feel these are the best products for outside crawl space waterproofing that homeowners should install. These products will help keep your crawl space dry during heavy rains when properly installed to work together. Homes near lakes, rivers, streams, or in flood plains will also benefit from these products.
Start Waterproofing from the Outside First
If your crawl space is flooding, begin the fix from the outside. Preventing water from getting into the crawl space should always be the first step. In some cases, it may even fix the problem entirely. Although, heavily flooded crawl spaces usually still need inside water management to ensure the crawl space is dry.
Here are the 6 best products to install for outside crawl space waterproofing to help redirect water away from your foundation:
- Downspout extensions are vital to moving roof water away from your foundation wall. By sloping the extension down and far away from your foundation, you allow the water to drain away instead of entering the crawl space.
- Gutter guards assist in making sure water is flowing easily from the roof to the downspouts. While I don’t recommend a specific type, if you have one that has worked well for you please comment below. Keep in mind that gutter guards are not a replacement for cleaning. You could still need to clean the gutters periodically.
- A crawl space door with a footer at least six to twelve inches above the surrounding outside dirt will help prevent water from entering the crawl space. We typically install custom doors, but there are some good prefab doors available depending on the size of the opening. Click here for a good DIY crawl space door. Keep in mind, a door installed directly on the dirt or at dirt level may still flood.
- Door wells are a great product for those of you that have a crawl space door opening lower than the outside dirt. This is also a custom product we install.
- Vent covers are used to stop water from entering the crawl space. Flood covers are available if you live in a flood zone. Here is a vent cover installed on the outside foundation wall. Here is a vent cover we install on the inside that also insulates.
- If your vent cover is installed low to the outside dirt or in a mulch bed, vent wells are helpful in preventing water and debris from entering the crawl space. Click here for a good DIY crawl space vent well.
What Next?
Do you need help with crawl space encapsulation in Alabama, Georgia, Delaware, North Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky, or South Carolina? If so, please contact us to schedule your assessment. Also, let us know in the comments below if you’d like to suggest a future blog post.
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