Why 30% of Charleston Crawl Space Repairs Are Fixing Other Companies' Work
Crawl Logic Lowcountry
One of Many Reasons We Fix Crawl Spaces
THE "OTHER GUYS" JUST AREN'T DOING THE JOB RIGHT!
You might be surprised to learn that nearly a third of our business at Crawl Logic comes from fixing other companies' crawl space work.
Actually, if you've dealt with crawl space companies before, maybe you wouldn't be surprised at all.
I just finished inspecting a beautifully redone crawl space - one we had to completely redo because the original work wasn't done right.
And there's one problem I keep seeing over and over.
It comes down to something seemingly simple: how water leaves your crawl space.
Sounds basic, right?
But this one detail is behind so many failed encapsulations in Charleston homes.
Welcome to Crawl Logic Lowcountry!
The Condensate Line Problem
Here's what's happening under your house: When your dehumidifier pulls moisture from the air (and in Charleston, there's plenty of it), that moisture turns into water. That water has to go somewhere. Pretty straightforward so far, right?
Most companies install these small pumps connected to vinyl lines.
Why?
Because it's quick and easy.
The distributor gets to sell another piece of equipment, and the installer doesn't have to think too hard about it. The pump sits there, collects water from the dehumidifier, and when it fills up, it automatically triggers and pushes the water out through that vinyl line.
Sounds like a decent solution on paper. But here's the problem - these pumps are practically designed to fail. And when they do (notice I said "when," not "if"), you end up with a giant puddle under your house and a dehumidifier that's running constantly but not actually fixing anything.
Meanwhile, your energy bills keep climbing, and your crawl space problems keep getting worse.
Why Common Solutions Fail
Let's get real about these pumps for a minute. When companies install them, they're choosing the easy way out. Think about it - you've got a machine that's supposed to keep your crawl space dry, but its success depends on a small pump that's bound to fail. That's like building a house on sand and hoping it won't sink.
Here's what typically happens: The pump breaks down (usually within 18 months), but you don't know it because who checks their crawl space that often? Meanwhile, water's pooling under your house, your dehumidifier's working overtime, and your electric bill's through the roof. All because someone chose the quick fix over the right fix.
The Right Way to Handle Condensate
At Crawl Logic, we do things differently. We use gravity-fed systems - basically, a solid piece of pipe installed at the right angle to let water flow out naturally. Is it more work for us? Absolutely. We have to drill carefully, calculate the right angles, and make sure everything's properly sealed. But here's the thing: gravity never takes a day off.
Unlike those pumps, a properly installed gravity-fed system doesn't have moving parts that can break down. It doesn't need electricity to work. It just does its job, day after day, year after year. That's what real solutions look like.
Protecting Charleston Homeowners
If you've got a crawl space dehumidifier, here's what you need to watch for:
- Standing water around your dehumidifier
- Dehumidifier running constantly
- Rising energy bills
- Musty smells coming back
- Humidity problems despite having a "working" system
These are all signs that your condensate removal system isn't doing its job. And in Charleston's climate, you can't afford to have a system that only works some of the time.
Your home needs and deserves better than that.
The Bottom Line
At Crawl Logic, we're not interested in taking shortcuts or doing what's easy. We're interested in doing what works. That's why 30% of our business comes from fixing other companies' work, and why so many Charleston homeowners trust us to get it right the first time.
Think your crawl space dehumidifier might not be working as well as it should? Or just want to make sure your home is protected the right way? Give us a call.
Because when it comes to protecting your Charleston home, gravity isn't the only thing that's reliable - we are too.
