Hollywood sits on the South Carolina coastal plain, where the water table is close enough to the surface that a crawl space can take water from below with nothing broken anywhere in the house. After a tropical system, a long rain or a high tide, soil that was merely damp becomes saturated, and the enclosed space under the floor is the first place that shows.
It also means a vapor barrier earns its keep faster here than almost anywhere. With damp soil underneath more or less permanently, an uncovered crawl space floor is a moisture source that never switches off.
We mark the points we take moisture readings from and record them, so there is evidence the structure actually reached target rather than an assurance that it probably did.
Signs worth acting on
You do not need all of these. One is enough.
- A damp, earthy smell that is strongest in the lowest rooms
- A patch of floor that gives slightly when you walk over it
- Gaps opening at baseboards, or a door that no longer latches
- Condensation on ductwork or pipes under the floor
- Batts of insulation fallen away from the subfloor
- A silt line or watermark on the foundation piers
Water near Hollywood
Named water close to Hollywood. On the coastal plain, proximity usually means a higher water table and a longer wet season under the floor.
- Wadmalaw Sound (bay)
- Caw Caw Swamp (swamp)
- the Oyster House Creek (stream)
- the Church Creek (stream)
Hollywood sits at about 30 feet, in the Lowcountry and coastal plain of South Carolina.
Crawl space services in Hollywood
Each of these is available for Hollywood homes, and each has its own page covering how it works here.
Crawl Space Water Removal in Hollywood
Standing water pumped and extracted from under the house, then the saturated material taken out.
Crawl Space Structural Drying in Hollywood
Joists, girders and subfloor dried back to a measured target with air movers and dehumidification.
Crawl Space Mold Remediation in Hollywood
Contained removal of mold-affected material, HEPA cleaning, and the moisture source shut off.
Crawl Space Vapor Barrier Installation in Hollywood
Sealed polyethylene over the soil and up the piers, so ground moisture stops entering the space.
Crawl Space Drainage and Sump Pump Installation in Hollywood
Interior drainage to collect water, a sump and pump to lift it, and a discharge that takes it away.
Crawl Space Wood and Subfloor Repair in Hollywood
Rotted joists, girders, rim joists and subfloor sections repaired or replaced once the space is dry.
Our Hollywood service area
Coverage runs across Hollywood and out through Charleston County, taking in the ground around Rockville Historic District and Yonges Island, plus Meggett, Ravenel and Wadmalaw Island.
Nearest towns we also cover
The rest of Charleston County
We cover every town in Charleston County. See all 407 South Carolina towns.
Hollywood crawl space questions
Why is my Hollywood crawl space wet when nothing has leaked?
Near Hollywood that is the normal pattern rather than the exception. At around 30 feet on the coastal plain, the water table sits close enough to the surface that soil under the house can be saturated with no pipe broken.
Does storm flooding reach crawl spaces around Hollywood?
Yes, and often with nothing visibly broken. After a tropical system the usual picture in Charleston County is a saturated crawl space where the water came up through the ground rather than out of a pipe.
Does being close to the coast make this worse?
It raises the water table and lengthens the wet season, which is why homes near Wadmalaw Sound and the low ground around Hollywood tend to need drainage as well as a barrier.
Will my Hollywood crawl space dry out if I open the vents?
Usually not. For much of the year the air around Hollywood is warmer and wetter than the crawl space, so opening it up deposits moisture on the cool joists instead of carrying it away.
Is crawl space water damage covered by insurance?
It depends on the cause, not the address. A burst pipe in a Hollywood home is commonly covered; groundwater, long-term seepage and flooding usually are not, and flood damage generally needs separate cover. Photograph everything first.
Talk to someone about your Hollywood crawl space
A description of the smell, the feel of the floor and where the water sits is usually enough for us to say what the space needs.
Tell us what you are seeing under the house and we will tell you what it needs.