Drainage Solutions
in Cedar Hills, BC

Cedar Hills is one of Surrey's established inner-suburban neighbourhoods, with a housing stock predominantly from the 1960s through the 1980s. The area sits on relatively flat terrain in the central part of the municipality, with clay-loam soils that drain slowly after rain events. The neighbourhood's age means that many crawlspaces here have never been professionally assessed or treated, and we frequently find significant moisture damage and mold accumulation when we inspect homes in this area.

Drainage problems in crawlspaces have two distinct origins: water that arrives from outside (surface runoff, failed exterior drainage, high water table) and water that condenses from the air inside the crawlspace onto cooler surfaces. The solutions for each are different, and correctly diagnosing which problem you have — or which combination — is the critical first step. Applying interior drainage solutions to an exterior water problem provides partial relief at best; addressing the exterior source is far more effective and usually less disruptive.

Interior drainage systems — perimeter drain tile installed inside the crawlspace along the base of the stem wall — are the right solution when exterior work is impractical (due to finished landscaping, hardscaping, or very tight site conditions) or when the primary issue is groundwater rising from below rather than surface water entering through the wall. Interior drain tile channels water to a sump pit where a pump removes it. This approach does not stop water from entering the foundation, but it manages it effectively once it does.