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Jon mackay
04-30-2010, 02:57 AM
When the crawl space area is very damp and the wood surfaces (joists and beam) have become 20% + saturated with moisture, is there a good way to address this?

The crawl space needs a vapor barrier to cover all of the wet soil areas, the house needs gutters, and possibly adding ventilation.

Any other suggestions?

Rick Cantrell
04-30-2010, 04:32 AM
"Any other suggestions?"

Yes.
Do not make recommendations, or suggestions on how to make corrections.

Jon mackay
04-30-2010, 04:49 AM
Good advice, but what do you say?

Rick Cantrell
04-30-2010, 05:02 AM
"Good advice, but what do you say?"

In the report, say:

The crawlspace is blah, blah, blah,.
To determine what corrections are necessary, consult with a qualified contractor, with experienced in correcting conditions such as this.

Vern Heiler
04-30-2010, 05:27 AM
"Good advice, but what do you say?"

In the report, say:

The crawlspace is blah, blah, blah,.
To determine what corrections are necessary, consult with a qualified contractor, with experienced in correcting conditions such as this.

Rick, at what point do we defer ourselves out of business? If for every loose outlet we require an electrician, every sticky door requires an SE, every leaking faucet requires a licensed plumber.....

Rick Cantrell
04-30-2010, 06:19 AM
"Rick, at what point do we defer ourselves out of business? If for every loose outlet we require an electrician, every sticky door requires an SE, every leaking faucet requires a licensed plumber....."

That is a very good point. However, before recommending how or what repair is to be made, you should know a lot (more) about it. In this example all he knows for certain is that the crawl is damp. Does he know ALL the reasons WHY the crawl is damp? Without knowing all the reasons why it is damp, you cannot reliably recommend what type of correction should be made.
For example:
If the crawl is below grade water could be coming through the foundation wall.
Grading and drainage issues.
Is there a natural spring to deal with?
Underground leaking water line?
If any of these are present , the suggestions he made will not correct the problem.

The point is, if you specify the corrections, you should KNOW that what you recommend will correct the problem entirely.

There is a big difference in specifying that a condition exist and a repair needs to be made to correct it, and specifying WHAT repairs or how the repair needs to be made.

You mentioned " Sticky doors"
How do you report it?

Scott Patterson
04-30-2010, 06:48 AM
By telling our client what is missing or improper we are in a way telling them what is wrong and needs to be corrected.

So, for a wet crawlspace I would and have said something like this:
The crawlspace does not have a moisture barrier over the soil as required. I did not find any drainage system in the crawlspace and water was standing in a few areas. You should have a moisture barrier properly installed and a proper drainage system installed so that water is not ponding or standing in the crawlspace. You should have a qualified person or contractor who does this type of work to perform it and to insure that additional steps are not needed to insure the area remains dry.

I agree that we need to let our clients know what needs to be done, but that does not mean we have to design the fix or repair.

Ron Bibler
04-30-2010, 08:06 AM
By telling our client what is missing or improper we are in a way telling them what is wrong and needs to be corrected.

So, for a wet crawlspace I would and have said something like this:
The crawlspace does not have a moisture barrier over the soil as required. I did not find any drainage system in the crawlspace and water was standing in a few areas. You should have a moisture barrier properly installed and a proper drainage system installed so that water is not ponding or standing in the crawlspace. You should have a qualified person or contractor who does this type of work to perform it and to insure that additional steps are not needed to insure the area remains dry.

I agree that we need to let our clients know what needs to be done, but that does not mean we have to design the fix or repair.

But then I would say the installing a vapor barrier is incorrect and will make the problem worst and be a wast of $ 750.00 bucks. I would say install a fan system to move to damp air out and then correct the lot drainage.

But thats me:D

Best

Ron

Trent Tarter
05-04-2010, 11:16 PM
I know it's hard sometimes to always have an answer or even want to advise on what may needed to correct certain problems. However in many cases we should know what is needed to correct the problem and be able to advise our client on what should be done. Helping your client in any way will only bring more value to your service. It will also help with the real estate transaction process, which makes Realtors happy.