Install footer drains with crawlspace?
We have a problem coming up with an addition job that we are doing.
We are adding a small (8’x24′) room on the rear of an existing house with a crawlspace. Our addition will have a crawlspace as well.
The grade will be about 10″ below the top of our foundation wall, with the level of the crawlspace approximately 30″ below grade. The inspector is saying that we must install drain tile for the crawl space because the grade of the crawl is lower than the grade on the exterior.
This is new to me. We haven’t done that many crawlspaces, but they all have had no drain tile. We focus on proper grading, diverting the gutter leaders away from the foundation, and other common sense approaches. The 2003 IRC (which this job is under) says:
“405.1 Concrete or masonry foundations
Drains shall be provided around all concrete or masonry foundations that retain earth and enclose habitable or usable spaces located below grade.”
The building official says their interpretation of the “usable spaces” is a crawlspace. I would not agree, but I guess that’s their prerogative. The IRC does not define “usable space” one way or another. With the addition in question, daylight would require digging a trench through the finished yard about 80′ to a drainage ditch in front (the existing has no drainage). A sump is an option, but I much prefer to run to daylight if at all possible.
So, do you install footer drains when building a crawlspace? He we been tempting fate by skipping this step? Is our County going a bit overboard?
Replies
definitely!
Without a drain system, it will flood at least once in its lifetime unless you are in a desert on sand gravel.
And the result of flooded crawls is not nice. Floors move. mold grows. yada yada yada
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I say nay. Is it better? Definitely. But I definitely recommend some time of drain system whether it be a sump pit and pump or a gravity drain. IMHO a drain tile around the perimeter of a crawl is not necessary. Better yes but not necessary. On a basement definitely around the perimeter in and out.
We do alot of crawls and only once have we been told by an inspector that it was necessary......and he even had us place it above the footing. IMHO it should be below the top of the footing if you are going to do it. However, we trench our footings and this makes it very difficult to properly tile. We do however place a central sump pit and slope the crawl floor to the pit.
John
J.R. Lazaro Builders, Inc.
Indianapolis, In.
Wait till you get the 06 codes in effect..they want vapor barrier down there under the stone.
The difference between the two...alot of moisture.
We always put a per. drain on our additions, yes sometimes the elevations screw you up but ...
The vapor barrier we did recently on a re-hab made a tremendous difference in the crawl. If you can get it down before the stone gets poured on your additions its well worth it.
Same way here Jon in s.e.Va. We have to have a P.E. sign the drainage plan. I have one now I had to excavate to match the crawl and first thing the B.I. said was either level the sand to the exterior or get a sealed drainage plan.
I guess we've been dodging bullets all this time. I still think the BI is stretching the definition of "usable", but no one really cares what I think about that.I wish we would have known about this prior to framing the floor (and the walls, and the roof). We could have done interior tile and a sump with more ease than what the exterior will require.
Jon Blakemore RappahannockINC.com Fredericksburg, VA
Wow, VA Beach sounds worse than Fairfax. I guess you guys probably do have more issues with moisture. We don't need a PE stamp on much, truss drawings is typically the only thing on a job.
Jon Blakemore RappahannockINC.com Fredericksburg, VA