DIY Moisture Problems Under a House Crawl Space

Sump Pump Installation

• 1

  Punch holes in a 5-gallon plastic bucket.

• 2

  Dig a hole in the lowest point of the crawlspace. Place the bucket in the hole, place a sump pump in the bucket and fill in the area around the bucket with gravel. Run the sump pump's discharge line away from the house.

• 3

  Dig trenches in the ground that pitch downward toward the sump pump as O'Neill recommends.

• 4

  Lay slotted drainage pipes in the trenches to the sump pit and cover them with the backfill from the trenches.

• 5

  Install a dehumidifier and run the drainpipe into the sump pit.

Vapor Retarders

• 6

  Lay 6-mil plastic vapor retarder to cover the entire floor area and as far up the walls as possible.

• 7

  Overlap 6 to 12 inches at every seam. Tim Carter notes that the best retarders come with special tape to seal the seams.

• 8

  Secure the vapor retarder to the wall by nailing it in place along with treated lumber or rot-resistant wood strips, as Tim Carter recommends.