Nichols 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.
The practical consequence is that venting a crawl space here usually makes it damper. For much of the year the outside air is warmer and wetter than the space, so open vents deposit moisture on the cool joists instead of carrying it away.
What we will not do is pump a Nichols crawl space out and leave. If the water is going to come back, the drainage and the barrier are the job, not an upsell after it.
Signs worth acting on
These are the signs that bring people to us, in roughly the order they get noticed.
- A musty or earthy smell indoors, stronger when the HVAC runs
- Floors that feel soft, bouncy, cool or damp underfoot
- Hardwood that has cupped, crowned or opened at the seams
- Insulation hanging down or lying on the crawl space floor
- Standing water, mud or a waterline mark on the piers
- Doors and windows that have started to stick
Water near Nichols
Named water close to Nichols. On the coastal plain, proximity usually means a higher water table and a longer wet season under the floor.
- the Old River (lake)
- Fishtrap Lake (lake)
- Round Hole Lake (lake)
- Pitch Lake (lake)
Nichols sits at about 56 feet, in the Lowcountry and coastal plain of South Carolina.
Crawl space services in Nichols
Each of these is available for Nichols homes, and each has its own page covering how it works here.
Crawl Space Water Removal in Nichols
Standing water pumped and extracted from under the house, then the saturated material taken out.
Crawl Space Structural Drying in Nichols
Joists, girders and subfloor dried back to a measured target with air movers and dehumidification.
Crawl Space Mold Remediation in Nichols
Contained removal of mold-affected material, HEPA cleaning, and the moisture source shut off.
Crawl Space Vapor Barrier Installation in Nichols
Sealed polyethylene over the soil and up the piers, so ground moisture stops entering the space.
Crawl Space Drainage and Sump Pump Installation in Nichols
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 Nichols
Rotted joists, girders, rim joists and subfloor sections repaired or replaced once the space is dry.
Our Nichols service area
Our Nichols work covers the 29581 area and the rest of Horry County — from Little Pee Dee State Park across to Pitch Lake — along with Mullins, Lake View and Fork.
Nearest towns we also cover
The rest of Horry County
We cover every town in Horry County. See all 407 South Carolina towns.
Nichols crawl space questions
Why is my Nichols crawl space wet when nothing has leaked?
Near Nichols that is the normal pattern rather than the exception. At around 56 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 Nichols?
Yes, and often with nothing visibly broken. After a tropical system the usual picture in Horry 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 the Old River and the low ground around Nichols tend to need drainage as well as a barrier.
Do you work outside Nichols itself?
Yes. We cover Horry County broadly, including Mullins, Lake View and Fork, and the rest of the Lowcountry and coastal plain of South Carolina.
How do I know whether it is groundwater or a leak?
That is the first thing we establish on a Nichols 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.
Not sure what your Nichols crawl space needs?
That is what the inspection is for. Call (888) 724-1354 and describe what you have noticed.
Tell us what you are seeing under the house and we will tell you what it needs.