4.9 How Do I Prepare My Home for Heavy Rain?
TL:DR
Kentucky’s record rainfall and saturated soil are forcing water into crawl spaces and basements, leading to mold, musty odors, and long-term home damage. When rainwater builds hydrostatic pressure, it pushes moisture through cracks, vents, and access doors. Frontier Foundation & Crawl Space Repair offers lasting waterproofing and moisture control solutions like CleanSpace Vapor Barriers, TripleSafe Sump Pumps, and SaniDry Dehumidifiers to keep your home dry, healthy, and protected for years to come.
Kentucky has faced record rainfall over the past year, with some areas seeing more than 10 inches in just a few days. When the ground becomes saturated, excess water can push its way into your crawl space or basement. Moisture intrusion often results in standing water, mold growth on floor joists, and damage to personal belongings.
Frontier Foundation & Crawl Space Repair offers proven waterproofing and moisture control solutions to keep your home dry and protected for years to come.
How is the water getting into my home?
When rain hits the ground and soaks into the soil, it creates hydrostatic pressure, the same kind of force a diver feels from the water above them. Most homes are built with porous materials like concrete block or poured concrete, which naturally allow moisture to seep through. As water builds up around your foundation, this pressure pushes moisture through cracks, joints, and even solid concrete walls into your crawl space or basement.
During periods of heavy rain, water can also enter through unsealed crawl space vents, access doors, or other openings near the foundation, quickly turning a small leak into a larger moisture problem.
Signs Your Home Has Water Damage
Once water enters your crawl space or basement, the effects don’t stay below ground for long. Your home breathes, pulling air in through the crawl space or basement, circulating it upward through the living areas, and releasing it out through the attic.
When that air carries excess moisture, your entire home feels it. You might notice a musty odor that won’t go away, often caused by moisture traveling from below. Allergies or asthma symptoms can worsen due to poor indoor air quality.
Preventing Water Intrusion Before It Starts
Traditional building practices once encouraged vented crawl spaces and basements to help air circulate. Unfortunately, those vents do more harm than good. Instead of ventilating moisture out, they allow humid air (and during heavy rain, even water) to enter your home.
That’s why Frontier Foundation & Crawl Space Repair recommend sealing vents with our CleanSpace Vent Covers. These durable covers prevent humid air and rainwater from entering while improving your home’s overall energy efficiency.
When it comes to crawl space access doors, a proper seal is equally important. We install EverLast Crawl Space Doors, which are made from inorganic materials that won’t warp, rot, or rust. For below-grade entries, we offer The Turtl Crawl Space Access System, a watertight and visually appealing access point.
Long-Term Waterproofing and Repair Solutions
If your crawl space has an exposed dirt floor, it’s constantly allowing moisture to rise from the ground. To stop this, we install the CleanSpace Vapor Barrier, a durable liner that seals out moisture from both the ground and foundation walls.
For added protection, we install CleanSpace Drainage Matting beneath the liner to direct any water toward a TripleSafe Sump Pump System. This system features three pumps: a primary pump for everyday use, a secondary pump for backup, and a battery-powered pump to keep your home dry even during power outages. The discharge line is protected by an IceGuard Discharge System, which prevents frozen lines during cold weather.
In basements, we apply CleanSpace to the walls to direct moisture into a perimeter drainage system. The water is then pumped out through the sump pump and safely discharged away from your home through a LawnScape Outlet.
To maintain dry, healthy air year-round, our SaniDry Sedona Dehumidifier removes excess humidity and filters the air in your crawl space or basement, protecting your home from mold, rot, and poor air quality.
Call us today!
Frontier Foundation & Crawl Space Repair has the specialized equipment, proven products, and professional experience needed to permanently waterproof your crawl space or basement. Our team will provide a free waterproofing quote and connect you with one of our specialists, who can answer any questions you may have.
Schedule your free, no-obligation quote and take the first step toward restoring your home’s stability and safety.