The ground around Sunset is the problem and the clue. Red clay holds water against a foundation for days after the rain stops, so a crawl space here is often wet long after the yard looks dry.
Clay also means slow drying. Once the framing in a Sunset crawl space has taken on moisture, the surrounding ground gives it very little help in getting rid of it, which is why drying here is finished against a reading rather than a date.
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 Sunset as everywhere else.
Signs worth acting on
Most Sunset calls start with one of these.
- 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 Sunset
Named water close to Sunset. On sloping ground it is less about the water table and more about where runoff is heading once it leaves the surface.
- the Twelve Mile River Watershed Eight Reservoir (reservoir)
- the Twelve Mile River Watershed Six Reservoir (reservoir)
- Big Rock Lake (reservoir)
- Reedy Cove Creek Lake (reservoir)
Sunset sits at about 1024 feet, in the Piedmont and Upstate of South Carolina.
Crawl space services in Sunset
Each of these is available for Sunset homes, and each has its own page covering how it works here.
Crawl Space Water Removal in Sunset
Standing water pumped and extracted from under the house, then the saturated material taken out.
Crawl Space Structural Drying in Sunset
Joists, girders and subfloor dried back to a measured target with air movers and dehumidification.
Crawl Space Mold Remediation in Sunset
Contained removal of mold-affected material, HEPA cleaning, and the moisture source shut off.
Crawl Space Vapor Barrier Installation in Sunset
Sealed polyethylene over the soil and up the piers, so ground moisture stops entering the space.
Crawl Space Drainage and Sump Pump Installation in Sunset
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 Sunset
Rotted joists, girders, rim joists and subfloor sections repaired or replaced once the space is dry.
Our Sunset service area
We cover Sunset and the surrounding part of Pickens County, including the area around Keowee Toxaway State Park and Table Rock State Park. Nearby we also work in Pickens, Salem and Six Mile.
Nearest towns we also cover
The rest of Pickens County
We cover every town in Pickens County. See all 407 South Carolina towns.
Sunset crawl space questions
Why does my Sunset crawl space stay wet for days after the rain stops?
Piedmont clay. Around Sunset, at roughly 1024 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 Sunset 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 Sunset 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.
Do you cover all of Sunset?
Yes — Sunset and the surrounding part of Pickens County, including the 29685 area. We also work in nearby Pickens, Salem and Six Mile.
What should I have ready when I call about my Sunset home?
Your street in Sunset, when you first noticed it, and what you can see or smell — standing water, a waterline on the piers, insulation hanging down, or a floor that has gone soft. Photographs help.
Not sure what your Sunset 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.