Waterproofing in Gatlinburg, TN
Gatlinburg crawl spaces on steep mountain lots
Gatlinburg sits at the entrance to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and most of its homes and cabins are on steep lots. Mountain soil is thin, often only a foot or two over rock, so rain runs off quickly and collects against the uphill side of a house. Lots stacked up a hillside also send water from one to the next, so a cabin can take runoff from a driveway or roof two lots above. One neighbor's new driveway can change where water lands on yours.
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Sevier County
Waterproofing around Gatlinburg
Cabins in Gatlinburg are often built on posts or piers with a short crawl space against the hill and an open or skirted downhill side. Water piles up at the uphill wall and runs along the footing. Over time, slopes also creep, and that slow movement can loosen soil around posts or crack a block wall. Terraces and parking pads cut into the hill act like channels, aiming water straight at the house during heavy rain. Retaining walls built of timber or block often hold water behind them until it seeps out at the base.
Catching water above the house is where we start in Gatlinburg. A swale or exterior drain across the uphill side, carried around to daylight downhill, keeps most runoff off the foundation. Downspouts get extended so roof water lands downslope. Inside, a drain along the wet wall collects whatever comes through, and on a steep lot that drain can usually exit by gravity. Where it can't, a sump with an alarm keeps the crawl space dry for owners who aren't there.
The ground here: mountain slopes & thin soils
On mountain ground water runs downhill fast and goes wherever the slope sends it. The same storm that sheds harmlessly off one side of a house piles against the uphill wall of the crawl space and sits there. Add the slow downhill creep of shallow soil over rock and you get the pattern we see all over this side of the county: one wall or one corner under real pressure while the rest of the crawl space looks fine.
Hillside seepage
Runoff collects against the uphill wall and finds the joint between block and footing.
Slope creep and settling piers
Shallow soil moving downhill loads one side of the crawl space harder than the other.
Grading that works against you
Driveways, terraces and walkouts cut into a slope often channel water back toward the house.
What's included
What waterproofing in Gatlinburg can cover
Every waterproofing estimate in Gatlinburg starts outside, at the gutters, downspouts and grading, then goes under the house to find where the water actually comes in. These are the pieces we put together from there.
Interior French Drains
The fix when water is already getting in and you need somewhere for it to go.
Exterior French Drains
Intercepting water in the yard, before it ever reaches the house.
Sump Pump Installation
The low point that water collects in, and the pump that gets it out.
Sump Pump Repair & Replacement
For the pump that runs constantly, or the one that does not run at all.
Water Diverters
Sending water somewhere else, usually for a fraction of what a drain costs.
Grading & Downspouts
Making the ground fall away from the house, so rain runs off toward the yard.
How it works
From the first call to a dry crawl space in Gatlinburg
- 01
You call, we schedule
A real person at our Powell office answers, Monday to Friday, 9 to 5. You get a callback the same day you ring.
- 02
Free on-site estimate
An estimator walks the Gatlinburg property, inside and out: crawl space, grading, gutters, the lot itself. Expect an hour, and expect to be shown what he is looking at.
- 03
A written price, explained
Scope, method and cost in writing before anyone starts. No pressure to sign on the spot, and no quotes over the phone.
- 04
Our crew does the work
We clean up behind us, and we stay in constant communication with you until the job is done.
Gatlinburg questions
What Gatlinburg homeowners ask about waterproofing
Our Gatlinburg cabin takes runoff from the lot above us. Is there a way to stop it at our property line?
A swale or diverter along the upper edge of your lot can catch water coming down and carry it around the cabin. On a steep lot that's often the most effective fix. We'll walk the slope with you and show you where water crosses onto your property.
I'm worried the soil around the uphill posts on my Gatlinburg cabin is washing away. Is that drainage or something else?
Washing soil around posts is usually runoff. Diverting water above the cabin and extending downspouts protects those posts. If a post has already shifted or a footing is exposed, that's support work, and we'd point it out.
Can a French drain be dug on my Gatlinburg lot with rock so close to the surface?
Sometimes only at a shallow depth. We probe before committing and may use a swale, a shallower drain, or a drain inside the crawl space along the uphill wall. Each lot is different, so we'll tell you what fits yours.
The parking area above our Gatlinburg cabin channels water down at the front door. What fixes that?
A trench drain or diverter at the edge of the parking area can catch the water and carry it away from the cabin. That's usually cheaper than draining it once it's under the house.
Our Gatlinburg crawl space has a short block wall on the uphill side that's always wet. Could that wall be failing?
A wet wall isn't necessarily failing, but constant water does put pressure on it. If it's cracked, bowing or leaning, a foundation contractor should look, since we don't do wall repair. We can take the water off it by catching runoff above and draining what seeps through.
Does my Gatlinburg cabin need a sump pump, or can the drain just run out downhill?
On a steep lot, a drain usually runs out downhill by gravity, which is simpler and has no pump to fail. A sump only comes in if there's no way to get water out by gravity. We'll check the fall.
I'm out of town most of the year. Can you check the crawl space at my Gatlinburg cabin and send me the estimate?
Yes, we can usually work through a property manager or lockbox for access. We'll send a written estimate and go over it by phone.
We get water under our Gatlinburg cabin only when it rains hard for hours. Is that worth fixing?
Yes. Repeated soaking, even occasionally, can rot sills, settle posts and make the crawl space musty. Catching the water upslope usually takes care of those heavy rain events.
Our Gatlinburg cabin's downspouts drop onto the hillside right next to the posts. Where should they go?
Downhill and away from the posts and foundation. Extensions or underground lines that carry water out past the cabin protect the soil around the supports. It's a cheap fix worth doing first.
My Gatlinburg cabin is way up a winding road. Will that add a travel fee to the estimate?
No. There's no travel charge anywhere in our Sevier County area, Gatlinburg included, and the estimate is free. Tricky access can affect the price of the work itself, and that shows up on the written estimate before anything starts.
Get your Gatlinburg estimate on the calendar
The estimate is free, there is no travel charge to Gatlinburg, and you get a written price before any work starts.