this 15 year old house has a swamp for crawl space. There is heavy clay soil which was poorly covered with heavy plastic and sparse gravel thrown on top. Surrounding foundation is sinking/deteriorating. There is a very small enterance in a very small room to the crawl space. Is there an easy, economical way to correct the situation? Thanks, Handy1

Five months have gone by and I see no responses to your query! I hope that you have solved the problem by now. If not, the first thing to check is proper grading and gutter drainage. If you have a high water table a sump pump may solve the problem.

Believe it or don't, there is a sump pump. Gutter drainage is okay, will look to grading next. If the clay soil dries, how do we keep the moisture out in the future?

You should consider hiring a general home inspector to help with this evaluation. Certified home inspectors are trained to evaluate grading, drainage,damp crawlspace problems. Trying haphazardly to piece a solution together may cost you more in the end, especially if you say the foundation is deteriorated, that's an expensive fix and requires due attention from a pro. You can find certified inspectors and nachi.org.

All the best,


Steve Ramos
Certified Home Inspector
Envirovue Home Inspection
Santa Rosa, CA

Thank you! Handy1