In article <1edrq5INN2fs@bach.crhc.uiuc.edu> long@crhc.uiuc.edu (Junsheng
Long) writes:
> Recently, I went to the construction site of our new house
> and found that there is a small pool of water in one corner
> of the crawl space (about 50 sqft and 0.5 ft deep). The house
> is almost finished (the closing date is on Nov 30). Since
> the last rain was a week ago, this may be a problem of poor
> drainage. This is the first time we ever brought a house.
> Should I be worry about this problem? Will this water in
> crawl space weaken the foundation? What measure should the
> builder take to correct this problem?
>
> I would like to hear your opinion and experience.
I'd be concerned, but not about weakening of the foundation (unless the
soil in your area is the (unusual) type of clay that expands as it absorbs
moisture). Moisture and water are enemies of your house. That probably
sounds ridiculous, but good maintenance requires vigilance against rot.
Rot occurs whenever untreated wood is exposed to excessive moisture (on my
older house the problem areas are the (exterior) window sills and the
underside of the roof sheathing (cured by improving attic ventilation)).
Crawl spaces should be vented during warm weather to control moisture. Good building practice (probably most codes too) requires covering the dirt floor of a crawl space with a vapor barrier. In several messages posted here and in my own experience, adding thick plastic sheating to dirt floored crawl spaces has significantly lowered humidty in basements and made rot in the floor
joists and sub floor above the crawl space a much more remote possibility.
Find out how the water got there and if the problem has been corrected.
In particular, examine the grading around the house and the discharge of
