Bathroom vanity with hoses feeding a cabinet drying system. Used to illustrate this step; it is not a photo of a job connected to this site.
What a structural basement floor is
On sites with expansive clay, some builders stopped pouring basement slabs directly on the soil and instead framed the basement floor with joists or engineered lumber, leaving a crawl space beneath it. Because the floor is not touching the ground, soil movement does not crack or lift it. These floors became more common in Douglas County construction from the 1990s onward, though many Highlands Ranch homes still have conventional slabs.
If you are not sure which you have, look for a small hatch or access panel in a mechanical room or closet floor, or tap the floor: a framed floor sounds and feels like an upstairs floor, not like concrete.
How drying usually changes
Water from a basement leak runs downhill, and with a framed floor, downhill means into the crawl space.
- Open the access point.Someone needs to look into the crawl space with a light to see standing water, wet vapor barrier or wet joists.
- Remove standing water.Water pooled on the vapor barrier or soil is pumped or extracted before air drying can make progress.
- Check the vapor barrier.Plastic sheeting over the soil may trap water on top or beneath it; it may need to be lifted, dried or replaced.
- Dry the floor system from below.Dehumidifiers and air movement in the crawl space dry joists and the underside of the subfloor, while the room above is dried too.
- Read the framing, not just the surface.Moisture readings on joists and subfloor confirm when the structure is back to normal for the house.
Signs water reached the crawl space
- Water disappeared from the basement floor faster than expected
- A musty or earthy smell rising from floor registers or the access hatch
- Laminate or wood flooring cupping days after the visible water was gone
- Soft spots or new squeaks in the basement floor
- Condensation or droplets on the underside of the access panel
Questions for the restoration contractor
- Did you inspect the crawl space, and can I see photos of it?
- Are you drying the floor system from below as well as from the room?
- What readings are you taking on the joists, and what is normal for this house?
- Does the vapor barrier need to be replaced?
General information for Highlands Ranch, not a quote or professional advice. In an emergency, call 911.