Terrain matters more in this part of South Carolina than almost anywhere else in it. Laurens homes sit on slopes, and water that lands uphill of a house has to go somewhere — usually along the clay, against the foundation wall, and in through the first gap it finds.
And because the water comes in storms, the damage tends to arrive in steps rather than all at once — a little more each time, until a floor starts to feel soft upstairs.
New timber fitted into a crawl space that is still wet starts absorbing moisture the day it goes in. That is why repairs wait until the readings say the space is dry — in Laurens as everywhere else.
Signs worth acting on
These are the signs that bring people to us, in roughly the order they get noticed.
- Air in the house that smells of damp soil, especially in summer
- Springy or sloping floors over part of the house
- Hardwood boards lifting at the edges or pulling apart
- Visible water, mud or standing damp under the floor
- Rusty fixings, or dark staining on the joists
- Windows and doors that stick in humid weather
Water near Laurens
Named water close to Laurens. On sloping ground it is less about the water table and more about where runoff is heading once it leaves the surface.
- Teagues Lake (reservoir)
- Thomas Lake (reservoir)
- Millikens Pond (reservoir)
- J A Bedenbaugh Pond (reservoir)
Laurens sits at about 614 feet, in the Piedmont and Upstate of South Carolina.
Crawl space services in Laurens
Each of these is available for Laurens homes, and each has its own page covering how it works here.
Crawl Space Water Removal in Laurens
Standing water pumped and extracted from under the house, then the saturated material taken out.
Crawl Space Structural Drying in Laurens
Joists, girders and subfloor dried back to a measured target with air movers and dehumidification.
Crawl Space Mold Remediation in Laurens
Contained removal of mold-affected material, HEPA cleaning, and the moisture source shut off.
Crawl Space Vapor Barrier Installation in Laurens
Sealed polyethylene over the soil and up the piers, so ground moisture stops entering the space.
Crawl Space Drainage and Sump Pump Installation in Laurens
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 Laurens
Rotted joists, girders, rim joists and subfloor sections repaired or replaced once the space is dry.
Our Laurens service area
Coverage runs across Laurens and out through Laurens County, taking in the ground around Laurens Historic District and South Harper Historic District, plus Clinton, Gray Court and Mountville.
Nearest towns we also cover
The rest of Laurens County
We cover every town in Laurens County. See all 407 South Carolina towns.
Laurens crawl space questions
Why does my Laurens crawl space stay wet for days after the rain stops?
Piedmont clay. Around Laurens, at roughly 614 feet, the ground holds water against the foundation long after the surface looks dry.
My house is on a slope. Does that make it worse?
Usually. Water landing uphill of a Laurens house travels along the clay to the foundation, so intercepting it uphill often does more than extra pump capacity underneath.
Is the damage sudden or gradual here?
Gradual, mostly. Around Laurens it arrives in steps — a little with each storm — so by the time a floor feels soft upstairs the framing has usually been damp for a while.
Will my Laurens crawl space dry out if I open the vents?
Usually not. For much of the year the air around Laurens is warmer and wetter than the crawl space, so opening it up deposits moisture on the cool joists instead of carrying it away.
How do I know whether it is groundwater or a leak?
That is the first thing we establish on a Laurens call, because everything after it depends on the answer. A supply line, a drain, water rising through the soil and runoff coming in through the vents each leave different evidence.
Standing water under your Laurens home?
Call (888) 724-1354. The first question is always where it came from, and that is the one we start with.
Tell us what you are seeing under the house and we will tell you what it needs.