Where to Check for Leaks

Leaks in your crawl space are a pain to repair. The biggest challenge is locating the source of those leaks. Looking for leaks and repairing the damage will prevent long-term damage and airborne illnesses from infiltrating the home. The question is, where to check for leaks? 

Sources of Leaking

There is a multitude of water sources throughout your home. However, finding the location helps you contact the proper contractor. Is the water in your crawl space from:

• Plumbing
• Washing Machines
• HVAC 
• Condensation from the outside
• Flooding 
• Outdoor gardening equipment

Who to Contact

Once you find the dreaded source of your leak in your crawl space, you need to ensure that you contact the proper contractor. First, check your garden hose, water outlets, and plumbing to ensure they shut off entirely. Washing machines and HVAC have specific contractors. Complications can come from mysterious flooding, roof leaks, and condensation. Plumbing could be to blame, but you never can be sure. Here is a checklist with instructions on where to check for leaks:

• Check for any moving water from plumbing, water heaters, water outlets, gardening hoses, laundry nozzles, and other water-operated appliances. 
• Contact the appliance manufacturer or plumber. Check for plumbers that service your water-operated appliances in the area with the leak. For condensation, contact HVAC contractors.
• Once you have eliminated plumbing and appliances as the cause, determine the damage. 
• Foundation contractors can repair basement walls and install encapsulation along with foundation repair. 

What a Foundation Repair Team Can Do

Foundation repair Raleigh contractors can discover if the flooding is from a cracked foundation, storm overflow, or moisture retention from condensation. Once the foundation team determines the cause of the moisture, you can choose from the following courses of action:

• Install French drains.
• Install an electrical drainage sump pump. 
• Follow up the sump pump with a dehumidifier.
• Consider crawl space encapsulation for moist basements and crawl spaces. 
• If your foundation is damaged, consider foundation repair.

If you are in a tight financial situation, start with a dehumidifier or sump pump, and then move on to a finance plan with your foundation repair team. Foundation repair can cost upwards of $10,000s. It is best to check your foundation before moving into encapsulation. Encapsulation may need removal for foundation repair. Find a company, such as Atlantic Foundation. Companies like ours offer free consultations.

Sources:

6 Ways to Find a Water Leak in Your House – wikiHow

7 Ways To Find Hidden Water Leaks In Your Home | Johnson Comfort