Why do hill-country houses take so much runoff?
Rain that falls on a hillside runs off quickly, and the water gathers in the first low ground it meets. For a house at the foot of a lot, that can mean a steady flow against the foundation during and after a storm, not a single burst of water.
Snow and ice melting off the hills add to the flow. A thaw can keep the ground saturated for days, and the crawl space keeps taking in water long after the storm has passed.
What do ice storms do to the lines in these houses?
Lines that run through crawl spaces and outside walls are the most exposed in an ice storm. When the power is off and the air is cold, the water in those lines can freeze and split them, and the leak shows on the thaw.
The first warm day after an ice storm is a good time to check the ceilings, the walls near the outside corners and the crawl space access. A leak that started during the freeze may show then.
What should be done for a crawl space that keeps filling?
The water is pumped out, the joists and subfloor are measured and dried, and the vents are set to help the drying without drawing in more damp. The readings tell the crew when the space is dry.
If the space fills again after each storm, the cause is outside the house: grading, gutters or the ground at the foundation. Those repairs belong to a qualified contractor, and the crew's record shows where the water comes in.
What is the first thing to check after a hill storm?
Look at the lowest point of the house on each side. Check the crawl space, the lowest room and the door sills, and look for water tracks on the ground and against the foundation.
Then check the gutters and downspouts, which often overflow in a heavy storm and add water to the same corner of the house. A note of what you found is useful to the crew and to any claim.
Why do hill-country houses collect so much water in one corner?
Hill-country lots tend to fall toward a single low corner, and the drainage gathers there. A house built on that corner or beside the drainage path takes the water first, and the crawl space or the back room is where it stays longest.
The crew checks that corner first, then works outward. The check also covers the gutter outlet and the downspout, because they often send water to the same place.
What should be decided after a hill storm?
The first decision is what to remove: carpet pad, porous insulation and any drywall that was wet from the bottom up. The second is what to dry in place, which covers most framing and solid flooring.
The third is what to fix outside, such as the grading or the gutters. Those are for a qualified contractor, and the crew's record of the water path is the starting point for that work.
