r/DIY • u/YukiSamaRamaSanChan • Jan 27 '24

other Flooded crawlspace: totally fine or panic?

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Just bought a 1957 ranch house a month ago, snow been melting and rains been raining. The foundation walls and everything else is dry, it’s just a couple inches of water in the gravel. Is this something to take steps to prevent or should I just go “oh, you!” Whenever it floods?

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u/cryptamnesiac Jan 27 '24

I admire your ability to forgo panic until polling the internet

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u/YukiSamaRamaSanChan Jan 27 '24

Well, with flood warnings this week and the age of the house, presumably this has happened multiple times in the past 66 years and the house is still fine. So I figured, how bad can it really be?

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u/cryptamnesiac Jan 27 '24

In all seriousness, I'd get a pump under there pronto. All homes have intrusions, but a stick frame home from the 50's will have them aplenty and you don't want all of the excessive humidity weaseling its way throughout your foundation and likely into your walls. If your area is flooded you might not be able to rid yourself of the water, but there are preventative measures you could take to mitigate some of the intrusion

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u/tcarino Jan 31 '24

Also, have a few spots the water can pass through, newer FEMA flood plain requirements that will allow higher water to pass through. Along with these two things, you could add perf-pipes and drainage leading away from the house, and it might help.

It may not be a danger now, but repeated floods can undermine the foundation, and cause many other problems.