I'd venture to say that most Home Owners in Tennessee who have a crawl space have water in their crawl space are not aware of it.

After all, how often do you crawl into your crawl space and hang out?

Of course, why even go down there unless there's a known problem or a need - like running TV cable to a place it wasn't before?

3 months After the big Nashville Flood in May of this year, we are discovering that many houses that "didn't flood" actually DID flood . . . The owners simply were not aware. Seems the water table rose during that monsoon causing ground water to bubble up from underneath most houses and create a nice underground swimming pool until the water table dropped again.

This phenomenon seems to have greased the path for more water to come in the future in the same way during flash flood types of rain storms.

It seems that a by-product of the BIG flood was a change in the subsurface water management plan . . . or the creation of a need for a subsurface water plan in places where there has never been a need for one in the past.

So . . . what can be done?

For sure, this issue is wreaking havoc on many a home closing as inspectors are reporting "damp" crawlspaces and "evidence of excessive moisture" in virtually EVERY Home Inspection report.

Of course, even the mention of water intrusion sends Buyers and Buyer Agents into a tail spin thereby creating a vortex that can literally devour any semblance of good will between the parties to the contract.

the Buyers are instantly suspicious that the sellers failed to disclose a known water issue.

Then comes the BIG question . . . How do we fix it?

Pre-flood, the answer was almost always to improve the handling of surface water by adjusting gutters and downspouts and grading around the perimeter of the house to divert the ground water away from the foundation to minimize water intrusion . . . or worst case to create a French Drain to protect the house from moving water.

Now?

The options are less clear (and potentially more expensive).

"Re-Engineering" the Crawlspace such that it "handles" any water that enters is one route. This includes grading (sloping) the ground, adding a layer of gravel to slow the water down, and having it all collect to a "positive drain" in the lowest corner where it can exit into an underground pipe that discharges several feet away fro the house.

Another route is the "B-Dry" or "safety Lock" system - A very thick (10mil) and very strong and durable plastic sheet that covers the entire crawl space and adheres around the perimeter such that the entire crawl space is sealed from any possibility of water intrusion . . . This solution also likely includes some level of engineering.

My bottom line is that water in a crawl space does not have to be a debilitating factor when selling a house because it CAN be managed.

The fly in the ointment is when the water shows up as a SURPRISE to all parties . . . This irks the Buyer and becomes an unanticipated expense (potentially many thousands of dollars) for the Seller.

My advice?

Whether you're intending to sell your house or not . . . take an occasional peek in your crawl space after a big storm to see what's going on . . . and occasionally during dry times . . . If you see any small lakes down there, call a professional and FIX the problem . . . Standing water in a crawl space creates a toxic environment INSIDE your house over time as mold and fungus thrive . . . and can also be structurally damaging.

Don't let this be an issue when you sell . . . That's just silly.

I'm just sayin'

Best,

b