Basic Crawlspace Building Practices

Outside of encapsulation, there are basic building practices that should be followed to control the moisture in your crawlspace:

1. Proper grading around your home. Grading should drop away from the foundation 6 inches in the first 10 feet. Proper grading is necessary to carry rainwater runoff away from the foundation.
2. Gutters: Gutters and downspouts should be installed around the structure to capture roof rain runoff and direct it away from the home.
3. Maintain the function of existing gutters. Gutters filled with debris will overflow dumping water all along the foundation walls. This water and resulting moisture levels enter the crawlspace.
4. Installing a vapor barrier that covers the entire exposed dirt floor of the crawlspace.  Vapor barriers prevent the evaporation of soil moisture into the crawlspace atmosphere.