Crawl Space Drainage Florida Homes

A Florida home has unique problems in crawl space. The biggest problem is no height. It is very difficult to work in tiny tight crawl spaces.

But regardless of the height, the drainage system is still needed. A Sump Pump is the best solution to removing water from under your home. The Pump sits in basin 24″ deep surrounded by gravel to promote drainage. As Ground water rises, it flows into the sump basin and the sump pump lifts it up and sends it out to the street or storm.

Also needed is Footer Drain Pipe. This is 4″ perforated pipe surrounded by gravel trench and installed at the footer level. This very labor intense work especially in a tiny crawl space, but the result is excellent.

Drains in the Crawl Space are important to help keep the foundation of your home in tack. Water enters through tiny holes usually between the first course of brick or block and the footer. It then fills the soil and slowly moves upward until the floor of the crawl space is wet or even holding water.

Overtime, this water can cause foundation problems. Piers move and settle, Cracks form in in the brick foundation walls, Floors buckle and Doors get stuck. Not to mention Mold forms and Termites find new homes.

The first thing we recommend is a Sump Pump. A good sump pump properly installed will help keep the water from flooding up and reaching the furnace or other utilities under your home. The Sump Pump sits in a Sump Basin, usually 20 to 24″ deep and collects water from the soil and the floor.

The Sump Pump lifts the water up and out of the crawl space pumping it through a PVC pipe out through the foundation wall.

So lets look at what each of those parts look like…
Here is a Sump Basin already installed in the crawl space floor. The Basin is 24″deep by 18 inches wide. There eill be a solid lid cover placed on the top when the installation is complete.

Sump Basin Installed in Crawl Space

Here is a Sump Pump Installed in the Sump Basin. There will be a 1 1/2 inch PVC Pipe coming from the sump pump to discharge the water. Also a Check Valve to prevent back flow. The PVC Pipe must go up and out through the Brick Foundation Wall.

Sump Pump In Basin, Crawl Space

Here is the Check Valve installed with the PVC Riser from the pump sitting in the basin.

Sump Pump In Basin with Check Valve and PVC Riser from pump

Here is the Core (hole through the brick foundation wall with PVC pipe going out from the Sump Pump)

CORE (PVC Pipe Going Through The Foundation Wall)

Here is The Outside where the PVC from Sump Pump comes out through the foundation wall and goes underground connecting to Downspout Drain.

Core Discharge from from sump pump coming through foundation wall and connecting to downspout drain underground

Here is the connection form 1 1/2 inch PVC to 4″ Corrugated Pipe Underground.

1 1/2 inch PVC connecting to 4" Corrugated, By Apple Drains

How does the water from the crawl space get into the sump pit?
This is done by adding Footer Drain Pipe along the inside perimeter of the crawl space walls. A trench is dug along the wall all the way done to the footer. Gravel is added to the bottom of the trench and then perforated pipe is laid and more gravel is added bring the gravel to the grade (level) of the crawl space floor. This pipe leads to the Sump Basin.

As water floods up from the soil and or comes n between the footer and brick or block, its collected by this drain and flows to the sump basin where the sump pump lifts it up and out through the foundation wall and discharges it into the Downspout Drain Line.

Here is the footer trench.

Digging along the footer of crawl space to install gravel perforated pipe - footer tiles - By Apple Drains

Here is the Footer Trench with Gravel Base. Note the Perforated Pipe beside the trench. Holes will point down when installed.This is because water must flood up through the gravel into the pipe.

Gravel Base in Footer Trench inside crawl space by Apple Drains

Here is the footer tile covered with gravel leading to the Sump Basin.

Footer Trench Pipe covered with gravel leading to sump basin, by Apple Drains

Apple Drains
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Orlando Florida
(321) 200-0685
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