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Crawl Space and Raised Floor Water Damage in Orlando, FL

Pumping and drying crawl spaces and raised floors in Orlando homes where water has risen under the house after heavy rain or a pipe failure.

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Crawl Space

Crawl Space and Raised Floor Water Damage: what it covers

Quick answer

Crawl space water damage is water that has entered the void under a raised floor, in a crawl space or in a pier-and-beam house. In Orlando, some older homes have raised floors, and heavy rain or a pipe failure can leave standing water and damp joists beneath them. The crawl space is pumped, dried and ventilated before the floor is rebuilt.

Crawl Space and Raised Floor Water Damage illustration for Orlando, FL, with a creek in the background

A crawl space is the part of a house most people never see, and water in it can do a great deal of damage before the floor above shows any sign. Water pools on the soil, wicks into the joists and the subfloor, and can sit under the house for days after the rain has stopped, because the space is dark, cool and hard to ventilate.

Raised floors are not the most common construction in the metro, but they do appear in older homes. Older bungalows near the lakes in College Park and Winter Park may have raised floors, and where they do, the floor framing and the underside of the subfloor are the parts that take the water.

A crawl space loss is a different kind of job from a room loss. The work happens in a confined space with limited light and little room to move, so the crew plans the access, the pumping and the drying around the hard-to-reach joists before anyone goes under the house.

Service area
Orlando & Orange County
Availability
Phones answered 24/7, hurricane season included
Warning signs

Signs you need crawl space and raised floor water damage

Do not enter a crawl space alone, and do not go into standing water or mud under the house. Watch for exposed wiring, pests and sharp debris, and keep children and pets out of the crawl entirely. Do not use a gas appliance or a heater in the crawl while it is damp. Leave a sagging floor alone and keep heavy furniture off it. Call (833) 490-5225 for a technician to assess the space before anyone goes under the house.

  • A damp, earthy smell in the house that is strongest near the floor vents or the bathroom above the crawl
  • Floors that feel spongy, bouncy or slightly out of level in one area
  • Sagging joists, or a floor board that has moved or shifted since the last storm
  • Standing water, mud or a film visible through the access door or the vents after heavy rain
  • Mold growth or white fuzz on the underside of the subfloor or the sill plates
  • Doors that stick or drag on the floor in one room after a wet season
  • Pests moving into the house from the crawl space, such as insects or rodents, after the space stayed wet
Options

Types and options for crawl space and raised floor water damage

Standing water after heavy rain

Water that enters a crawl through the vents, the soil or the foundation during a storm and sits under the house. The soil and the framing hold the water, so the drying takes longer than the pumping.

Pipe failure in the crawl

A supply or drain line that splits under the house and releases water onto the soil. The water is clean from a supply line, but the wet framing and soil around it need the same drying as any other loss.

Long-term dampness

A crawl space that has stayed humid for years, without a standing-water event, with mold and soft framing as the signs. The repair is usually about ventilation and the vapor barrier as much as the wet wood.

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Can a crawl space be dried with the house closed up?

Usually only with ventilation or fans. A crawl space that is closed and humid can hold moisture for a long time, and the drying plan has to open the space to the outside air, or move air through it, to get the moisture out.

Equipment is placed in the crawl where it can move air across the soil and the framing. The dehumidifier must run continuously, because the space is cool and the outside air is humid, which makes drying slow without it.

A house on a raised floor with a closed crawl and a humid outside is a hard drying job, and the readings decide when the space is ready for rebuilding.

What is the risk to the floor above?

The joists and the subfloor can rot, sag or lose their fastenings if they stay wet. A floor that feels soft or bounces is the sign that the framing has been damaged, and the repair is done before the finish floor goes down.

Wood that has been wet for a long time can lose strength without showing it on the surface. A moisture reading and a look at the underside of the subfloor show whether the framing can be dried or needs replacing.

The floor above is the last thing rebuilt. Carpet and finish flooring are replaced once the framing is dry, so the new finish is not laid over a damp floor.

How do I keep water out of the crawl next time?

Improve the grading and the drainage around the house, keep the gutters running, and address the vapor barrier and the vents. A plumber or a crawl space specialist can check the drainage and the sump if the house has one.

Water that runs toward the foundation is the most common reason a crawl fills after rain. Downspouts that discharge at the foundation, and soil that slopes toward the house, send the water straight into the space.

A sump pump in the crawl is a reasonable option for some houses, and it needs a permit and a discharge point that will not run back in. Ask the building office what applies to your address.

Does insurance cover a crawl space flood or seepage?

It depends on how the water got in. Water from a sudden plumbing failure is generally treated differently from water that seeped in over a long time, and flood from outside is often a separate question. Ask the insurer in writing which cause applies.

Keep the photographs of the crawl, the readings, the removal list and the repair invoices. The insurer will ask how the water entered and how long it stayed, so the record should show both.

The insurance claims guide explains the questions that come up with gradual and sudden losses.

Is the crawl space a mold risk for the whole house?

It can be. Air from a damp crawl can move up through the floor and into the rooms above, so a crawl with mold growth affects the house, not only the space under it. Ask the crew to check the return vents as well.

Growth on the underside of the subfloor or on the sill plates is a sign that the space has stayed wet. The growth is removed and the space dried and ventilated, and the mold remediation page explains the assessment and the Florida licensing rules.

Check the floor vents and the air handler return for a musty smell after the crawl is dried, because a dry crawl will not stop a smell that has already reached the ducts.

Our process

How our crawl space and raised floor water damage visit works

  1. Enter the space safely and assess

    The crew checks the access, the air quality and the electrical equipment in the crawl before anyone goes in, and the water level and the depth of mud are measured. Entry is only made when the space is safe for the crew to work in.

  2. Pump and remove the standing water

    Standing water is pumped out through the access point or a temporary opening. The mud and debris on the soil are removed, because they hold moisture against the joists and keep the space wet long after the water is gone.

  3. Map the moisture in the framing

    Meters read the joists, the sill plates and the underside of the subfloor. The readings show which members are wet and which are dry, so the drying and any replacement are planned from the numbers.

  4. Dry and ventilate the space

    Air movers and dehumidifiers are placed in the crawl, and vents are opened or temporarily fans are used to move the humid air out. The space is dried to the reference reading taken from unaffected framing.

  5. Repair the framing and the floor

    Rotted or stained joists and subfloor are repaired or replaced by a contractor, and the vapor barrier and drainage are checked. The floor above is closed up once the readings match, and the record is kept for the insurer.

Orange County

Why crawl space and raised floor water damage is different in Orange, Seminole and Osceola counties

Raised floors in Orlando are most likely to be found in older bungalow stock, which may include the 1920s and 1930s bungalows near the Winter Park lakes and older housing in College Park. Where a house sits on piers, the crawl below is where water collects after a storm.

Lake-side low ground can keep a crawl wet longer. Houses near the chains of lakes in Winter Park, Maitland and Windermere can have a high water table under the house, and the space stays damp even after the surface drains.

Many newer Orlando homes are built on slabs rather than over a crawl, so a crawl-space call in the metro is more likely to be an older house or a house with a raised addition. The crew confirms the construction before the plan is set.

Where we work

Crawl Space and Raised Floor Water Damage across Orange County

Not sure if you're covered? Check your ZIP code.

Related

Water Damage Restoration

Stopping the source, removing the water, drying to a measured target and documenting it, for homes across Orlando and Orange County.

Mold After Water Damage

Assessing and removing mold that grew after a water loss in Orlando homes, with Florida's individual licensing explained.

Burst Pipe Water Damage

Shutting off a split supply line, removing the water and drying the wall cavities and floors it reached in Orlando and Orange County.

Guides

Read before you book

FAQ

Crawl Space and Raised Floor Water Damage FAQs

Can I pump the crawl myself?

Only for a small amount of clean water, with a dry pump and a safe route out. The space is confined, the power may be close to the water and the mud can hide debris and wiring. A crew with the right gear is the safer choice for anything more.

How long does a crawl space take to dry?

It often takes longer than a room, because the soil holds water and the space is cool and enclosed. Drying usually runs for days and is measured by the readings on the joists and the subfloor, not by the look of the soil.

Why does the floor smell after the crawl was dried?

A smell can persist in the ducts, the floor vents or the subfloor even after the space is dry. Check the air handler and the vents, and ask whether the growth in the framing was removed. A second look at the readings can settle it.

Will the floor have to be replaced?

Only the parts that are rotted or permanently damaged. Sound framing is dried and kept. Soft or stained joists and subfloor are repaired or replaced, and the floor is rebuilt once the readings match the reference.

Do I need a permit to repair the framing?

Often, for structural repairs under a house. The building office for the address decides, and a contractor who can explain the permit requirement is the one to ask.

What is the vapor barrier for?

It is a sheet over the soil in the crawl that slows moisture rising from the ground into the space. If the barrier is torn, missing or buried in mud, it can be replaced as part of the repair, which helps the framing stay drier.

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