what material is used for crawl space to control moisture

Crawl Space Ground Comprehend for Wet Control

• Mail a QUESTION or COMMENT about using plastic or other basis covers in crawl spaces to control wet, improve ease of entry, keep the surface area make clean & dry, reduce run a risk of mold & insect impairment

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This article discusses the utilise of ground covers to control clamber infinite moisture.

We explain how moisture moves from soil below the clamber space up into the building, how to select and install a plastic vapor bulwark, where to put the plastic, and handling crawl space water, wet, or humidity.

We also discuss the use of spray foam every bit a crawl space moisture barrier..

We as well provide an ARTICLE INDEX for this topic, or you can try the page top or lesser SEARCH BOX equally a quick way to discover information you need.

Crawl Space Ground Covers to Help Command Crawl Space Moisture

Accompanying text is reprinted/adapted/excerpted with permission from Solar Age Magazine - editor Steven Bliss. Our page tiptop photograph shows a wet, flooding crawl space in which a poly barrier and gravel had been placed on the crawl infinite floor.

[Click to enlarge any epitome]

Those wet concrete blocks in our page elevation photo are diagnostic: water was still inbound the crawl space through the foundation wall, ponding on to of the gravel-covered plastic "moisture bulwark". Here we explicate why the good idea of covering the floor of a dirt crawl infinite may not exist plenty to stop a building moisture and mold trouble.

Readers dealing with damp or wet clamber spaces should start reading
at CRAWL SPACE DRYOUT PROCEDURES.

The question-and-answer commodity below paraphrases, quotes-from, updates, and comments an original article from Solar Age Mag and written by Steven Bliss.

How Best to Control Clamber Space Moisture

Question:

I read your article "Controlling Wet in Houses" (Solar Age 1/84), merely information technology did not touch on this item moisture crawl space trouble. I am having problem decision-making moisture in a crawl infinite. I believe that the business firm is over a moisture-weather jump. -- Virginia Riffee, Georgetown KY

Answer:

According to researchers Charles Jennings and Thomas Moody, who worked on TVA's weatherization program, installing a clamber space basis cover can reduce wet from capillary ascent past upward to ninety percent.

Below we have updated the original 1984 article to add more than effective steps besides merely installing a basis cover -- DF.

Sketch (higher up left) showing the effects of roofing a clay floor in a crawl space is courtesy of Carson Dunlop Associates. Carson Dunlop's comment that a dirt crawl can contribute several gallons of moisture per twenty-four hours into a habitation is the best case. If the clamber area is really wet from surface runoff, roof spillage, ground water, or plumbing leaks, the corporeality of water pumped into the habitation can exist much larger and more than harmful.

How to Place Polyethylene Ground Cover in a Clamber Space

Heavy polyethylene plastic sheeting works well since information technology resists deterioration by mold. Covering the poly with ane or more inches of sand or smooth rounded gravel will protect it from occasional trampling.

In new construction, where the polyethylene overlaps on the ground it should be overlapped by at least two feet, or sealed using a caulk or sealant that will adhere to the poly, and the poly should be carried upwards the walls several inches or more, at to the lowest degree to grade line - a height equal to the superlative of soil outside.

Some installers use a sealant caulk or furring strips to secure the poly to the building foundation wall.

Nosotros do non like to staple the poly to the sill plate on summit of the foundation wall as doing then tin in some areas provide a gear up path for termite set on. For this reason we practice similar care when insulating a crawl space foundation wall interior.-- DF

In building retrofit installations of crawl space moisture barriers, Jennings and Moody recommend leaving nearly 20 percent of the ground uncovered so that the structure is not subjected to undue shrinkage and movement. In particularly wet spaces, they advise commencement roofing fifty per centum, so finishing upward to 80 percent of the ground area in 10 percent increments every 4 to vi weeks to reduce "moisture shock".

[This was 1984 vintage communication. Our building inspection and testing feel in the ensuing decades indicates that roofing 100 % of a dirt crawl space flooring with 6-mil poly, sealed as we described above, is the virtually constructive practice and can substantially reduce unwanted building wet and mold problems. -- DF]

Should Crawl Space Ventilation Be Included in a Crawl Space Dryout Scheme?

In the original 1984 Solar Age article, the same experts were recommending what was conventional clamber space ventilation wisdom - specifications that were consistent with building codes:

1984 crawl space advice:

"A basis cover should be used in conjunction with ventilation.

The HUD standard [1984] typical of others, recommended 4 crawl infinite vents with a total minimum free vent equal to 1/150 of the crawl space flooring area if there is a ground cover, i/1500 with the ground uncovered. For best results, place two vents each on opposing walls."

Our photograph shows a severe and problematic mold contamination on the underside of the first flooring of a building constructed over a wet crawl space.

Ventilation had non helped one fleck to avoid this problem.

Current Best Practices Clamber Space Moisture Control Advice

Conventional best practice crawl space wet control has shifted from that 1984 view.

Experts observed that clamber infinite venting was not constructive in many instances, for example depending on wind direction as well as the source and amount of clamber infinite water or moisture, clamber space vents were simply ineffective.

In some instances, such equally bravado warm high-wet laden air into a absurd crawl space in summer months in some climates profoundly increased the level of crawl space moisture and condensation, making clamber infinite moisture worse rather than better.

Our crawl space photograph (left) shows that poly was placed on the dirt floor of the clamber area and a heat source was provided, salvaging an quondam radiator. We'd have preferred to encounter the poly extending up the clamber space walls a foot or and so. But we notice that this crawl infinite looks dry: there are non mold nor moisture stains on the floor framing overhead, and no leak stains on the crawl infinite foundation wall.

Below we summarize the best fashion to avoid wet or damp crawl infinite problems under buildings. If your crawl expanse is already wet or damp, as well

see Crawl SPACE DRYOUT - habitation.

Current best practice in controlling crawl infinite wet involves:

• Seal the crawl infinite from outdoor air - close off those crawl infinite vents - and convert the crawl space to conditioned infinite, providing a small amount of heat where climate dictates, to help proceed the area dry and above freezing.

  Run across Crawl SPACE VENTILATION CODES for details.

• Identify and cure sources of clamber space wet, such as roof drainage spilling around the foundation. In roughly ninety % of inspections performed by experts, we detect that moisture or moldy crawl spaces or basements that had been blamed on "loftier water table", "rising clammy", or "congenital over a leap" were actually being caused by gutter and downspout defects, perchance combined with in-slope grade that concentrated roof drainage right against the building foundation.

  Our page superlative photograph shows that water was entering the building crawl surface area through the foundation wall - see those wet blocks along the bottom of the wall?

• Apply a moisture barrier such every bit 6-mil poly continuously over the crawl space floor and lower crawl infinite walls, up to grade level, sealed equally we described to a higher place. In new construction the poly may exist installed nether a crawl infinite slab or gravel. In crawl spaces that are rarely entered, placing sand or gravel over the poly is probably not necessary, and its apply can hide depressions in the poly that may actually be belongings ponding water on top of the poly in some cases.
• Inspect the crawl space periodically, at least once a year, to be certain that the poly wet barrier is working as intended. As nosotros just suggested, an exterior water leak, such every bit roof spillage inbound through a foundation wall, or an inside water source such every bit from a leaky plumbing supply or drain pipe, tin can place h2o on elevation of your crawl space poly wet barrier, leading to a costly building moisture and mold problem.

  At CRAWL SPACE DRYOUT - home we bear witness photos of only this trouble. -- DF

Remember these are minimum values for average conditions. Your building may need special measures. If, after identifying and fixing outside sources of a wet or damp clamber space, you all the same discover high water levels right under the crawl space flooring, y'all may want to install a sump pump besides.

The question-and-reply commodity about use of a plastic bulwark on crawl space floors to command crawl space moisture and mold, quotes-from, updates, and comments an original article from Solar Age Magazine and written past Steven Bliss.

The link to the original Q&A article in PDF course immediately below is preceded past an expanded/updated online version of this article.

• Moist Crawl Space - Q&A on apply of ground covers to control crawl infinite wet - PDF version, employ your browser'southward back button to return to this page

This article serial describes the steps needed to go into, inspect, make clean, and and so dry out out a building crawl space. We give a footstep by pace clamber infinite entry, inspection, cleanout, dryout and keep dry out guide explains how to go into or inspect a crawl space even if at that place is no ready admission, how to appraise crawl space conditions, how to cease water that is entering the crawl area, how to dry out the space, how to clean upwardly and if necessary disinfect or sanitize the crawl space, and how to keep out crawl space water and moisture in the future.

Using Spray Foam every bit a Crawl Infinite Moisture Barrier

Reader Question: Spraying foam insulation in a clay floor crawl infinite - spray foam directly onto the dirt?

(July 4, 2012) Spray foam said:

I recently purchased a business firm with a clamber space, The crawl space had cream board on the wall poly on the flooring tapped about five-half dozen" up the walls and bat insulation stuffed in the rim joust.

I called around and found a spray foam company that says they have had a really practiced experiance spraying the rim joust and down the walls and across the dirt floor (yes I said dirt floor) he said information technology locks out any moisture pests and mold, he recommended filling in the vents with the foam that was cut out originally (basically putting back in the cut out pieces that were just laying down in that location, So I put all the foam cutting outs back in and removed all the bat insulation and removed all the poly that was on the flooring.

His visitor came in and sprayed the rim joust all the way around and down the walls and beyond the floor.

(it looks like a big bathroom tube now, The first year Prior foam the house was and so cold the furnace ran like 10 min close off for five min and turned correct back on, effectually 130.00 a month in the winter months, Afterwards foam the furnace runs like 5-eight min and is off for alot longer bills dropped to around 60.00 a month.

Do y'all have whatever comments on the foam being sprayed directly on the dirt, I accept had no bug except for the flash floods we had 2 weeks ago (NORTHERN MINNESOTA) and so much water collected nether the foam it cracked in the depression spot adjacent to the sump pump and flooded a little but I am positive it was due to the sump pump crapping out. But I went to the local hardware shop and bought spray foam in a can and fixed the fissure and its all sealed up again.. I accept looked every where for comments on spraying the clay floor once more just looking for comments on this.

Reply: toll benefits of spray foam vs. simple plastic poly on a clamber infinite flooring?

Well that'south one I've not heard before: direct foam application to a dirt floor. I suppose a airtight cell foam might act like a poly vapor barrier merely I wonder about the durabilty of a foamed clay flooring too as access to run wires, gear up a sump, or remove water below. The experts I've read never proposed such a mensurate; See Shipston'due south patent (2010).

Christian (2011), writing for the Oak Ridge National Lab certainly does not contemplate foaming clay floors and instead agrees with my view on use of a vapor retarder (plastic):

Exposed earth in crawlspace is covered with Form I vapor retarder overlapped and taped at seams. - Christian (2011) p. 10.

The first priority is to solve the majority water drainage flowing through the crawl infinite - Christian (2011) p. 34.

These citations may exist helpful:

Spraying foam as insulation or barrier material

• Christian, Jeffrey East., and Kathy Gant. "Spray Cream in Accessible Spaces: Best Practices and Case Studies for Retrofit in Mixed-Humid Climates." UT_Battelle for the U.S. Department of Energy, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, ORNL/TM-2011/437 (2011). Extract:
  This report will expect at areas to consider for spray foam application and talk over the types of spray foams available and their uses. A number of example studies are presented to bear witness the effectiveness of this retrofit in existing houses based on performance data.
• Gibson, Scott. "Air and Vapor Barriers." Fine Homebuilding iv, no. 94 (1994): 48-53.
• Lubeck, Aaron, and Francis Conlin. "Efficiency and comfort through deep energy retrofits: Balancing energy and moisture management." Periodical of Greenish Building 5, no. 3 (2010): three-fifteen.
• Shipston, Lorri B., and Mark Pavlansky. "Clamber space encapsulation system." U.Due south. Patent vii,735,271, issued June 15, 2010.

  Abstruse: A system for forming an insulating vapor barrier in a building is especially suited for forming an insulating vapor bulwark in a crawl infinite beneath a building. The organization includes a series of divide vapor barrier panels that can be fastened effectually a wall. A ground level vapor barrier can be sealed to the insulating vapor barrier panels, which tin exist sealed to each other and along a top edge to the wall.

  The individual vapor bulwark panels include an insulating foam member with a vapor resistant liner laminated thereto and extending beyond the edges of the insulating foam member to provide space for securing and sealing multiple vapor barrier panels to form a continuous insulating vapor barrier. Mechanical or hook and loop fasteners can be provided to secure the top edges of the vapor barrier liners to the wall and lesser edges to a ground liner.

Reader Q&A - also see the FAQs series linked-to below

I alive just Northward of Myrtle Beach SC one mile from the ocean. The clamber infinite has been encapsulated, simply the 6ml poly on the sandy ground was non sealed with caulk or tape at the seams. And the poly is held downwardly with roofing nails with washers. The joints overlap merely a few inches. The poly comes up the walls and support columns 2 feet. All the wall vents have been sealed. At that place is a dehumidifier with a pump that keeps the space consistently at 55% RH. Is in that location a reason to be concerned nearly the floor covering not beingness sealed properly other than that the dehumidifier possibly runs longer than if properly sealed? 5anks

Well vented.

well mobile homes and doublewides are planets apart from your , reg. stick congenital, plus if you have wood skirting, the amount of passive air vents, could easly double, and so some, , besides with loftier humidity, and rain falls, and so, many more vents, are being installed, and also another floor vapor barrier over the old one, ,, which is a yeomans task, , major task, with all the woods skirting , withal up, and the width of 28 ft. ten 6i8 ft., length, , and anchor straps, and the piers, in the mode, , with piece of work lights, and human knee and elbow pads, a head cap covering your ears and caput from spiders, ect., sharp rocks under the old plastic floor liner, and only enough crawlspace for , in some spots, less than, 15 inches between you and the steel I beam frame,

I know ive done it, now I accept to become in and redo the vapor retardant flooring barrier, thoughout, , much better than the clowns that installed it , when we bought it, , ive past hand , pick axe and shovel, dug a outside trench, ii ft. wide by ane.5 indeep approx., in hard stone clay, and swung the ditch around to the side of yard where the ground starts to slope, away, for rain runoff, plus installed gutters with long extenders, and pitch, with in that location own trenches, to go along all roof water away from foundation, under crawlspace, only the woods skirting , needs even more vents, and a better liner for dirt floor, ,

the moisture is from sweating, due to boiling summers in mo., , you cannot use a dehumidifier in a situation similar this even if you could beget i for 1904 sq. ft. or so space, because, , they are besides damn tall to get them inside in the eye of the crawl, plus what about draining it out?, ,

no 1 , I mean no one is going to clamber in every other solar day of there life, to drain it out, they but aint applied, , cost a ton of coin, , so are exhaust fan vents, if , you don't do everything else starting time right anyway, and then youd take to know where to place the i , or two, exhaust fan vents, for proper, locations, and you lot only have 2 outlet plugs under there plus running your elec. bills upwardly , more than every 2-iii seasons of the year, now if we finally get enough venting washed, and still wet, and then the vapor barrier needs installed, , ,,

vi inch up all walls, and 1 ft. overlays , , we aint gonna exercise no stapling, or sealtapes, just overlays, , best as we can, this is a major chore every bit information technology is, and ,too yous want pest control acsess to interior as well as exterior, , lesser of forest skirting, , every year, , the clay soil, exposure in that location would be minimal, , beyond all this if nosotros still have likewise much moisture under in that location, then we might accept to close some of the vents, with , pieces of thick pond liner stapled over certain vents., these are 8x 16 inch alum. soffit vents, once cut out from wood skirting , leaving 1 inch on all sides for screws are really, 6x 14, ,

so you see , the vents, and cutouts, are , less than the required 1 ft. per 150 ft. of crawlspace, , im discusted by the lack of real info., , plus , some parts , the pinnacle of clamber is higher than , the rest, , , so no one wants to help calculate, the height, into information technology, for venting purposes, we practice know that forest skirting , requires even more than venting than traditional skirting, if some one could tell us , how to factor in the acme, into the math for crawlspace feet, I could become the measuring tape, from points within, and exterior, department by department where pinnacle changes, and figure out, each department, by legnth ect., and finally calculate it , real shut, , ,

at present those are the iii things information technology could be, if after all this, and still also much moisture, well, , that means well need expensive steel siding skirting , cause we aint buying cheap love skirting, like cement lath, that information technology came with, or vinyl love, , , I believe we can fix this , and thank you for all the info., but actually your not talking to mobile home owners, , for crawls, , and there are no standards that are followed in America, for these mobile home gypsy dealers, installers, , , ,

on pest control we exercise information technology yearly, and sometimes twice yearly, we also installed a pond liner around unabridged perimeter of wood skirting sides, to keep rainwater at that place from , rotting the skirting, that'south where I do thepest control, lifting the pondliner up, and spraying against termites ect., , the steel j channel is 1 inch high, that'southward it, all skirting is way too close to the dirt basis, no standards, no cognition, no caring , we all practise the best we can by gods grace and info., is surely lacking., delight talk virtually mobile and doublewides here, ours has the top vapor , belly wrap, thank god, nosotros already got screwed by our dealer, on many things, , from poor land slope, , to bad liner crawl install, , ,

cheapo honey cement board skirting, and other things, and the manufacturing plant screwed the states on the roof, 13 years, it had staples , showing and fifty-fifty nails showing, slap job from factory, and so when nosotros had to switch insurance companies, because , out insurer at the time, was reorganizing or something we had to scramble and get another mobile home type ins., and we idea we had real roof replacement on our policy, merely didn't, so we had to pay over 8500 dollars, and , you have to become a indapendant contractor, not the companies, to do this, merely a qualified little guy with knowledge, ,

ou cannot reroof over, the trusses are too thin for the weight, and , e'er need a tearoff, why its and then loftier., , , plus we needed more roof vents, than the honey manufacturing plant gave, , nosotros have no , long ridge vent in that location, most don't, , , and under the vinyl siding on these things, there is no constructed, water barrier, installed, so its just the vinyl siding, installed correctly or not betwixt you and disaster, , , ,

weve had to redo and come up out of our pockets on the ii sides of vinyl siding, where the dealers, gypsies, installed at the marriage lines, , and our installer got shocked past elec current, of 110 amp., where the mill apes, had the wires running on the exterior, of the walls, , backside the foam boards, , where you lot cannot run into, behind, then he was nailing into the studs at that place were he was supposed to to install the vinyl, and hit a live line, on both side of domicile, thank god it was only 110 non 220, , everyone knows elec lines go inside home, , , ok?, this is simply some of the stuff goes on with mobile homes, doublewides, ect., , ,

y'all work all your life and buy a home you recall , and lookout man, the headaches are just beginning., , near mobile homes doublewides do not take tyvek, or nothing, backside vinyl, , flow, no standards at the factory, ,

whatsoever they want to practise and get abroad with, the factory was in boaz. Alabama, and v years after nosotros bought ours, , new, the manufacturing plant closed, I wonder why, , champion homes bought the homes from them, that remained, I volition give the proper name here cause I don't care, homes of fable, mobile homes in boaz Alabama, , , atrocious, construction sloppy at the factory, use the cheapest, products they tin get and the workers, probably minumun wage, and mad, and so no intendance how they install things, plus no oversight , from supervisors, like the elec.,

name of the wiggle dealer, was jim l. Williamson, , once again im using names cause I don't care, hes a fraud, , so was homes of fable, aye, legend of love, anyway, were doin everything we tin can and shouldn't take to, but that is the way it is , no standards, and I hateful the newer ones, , there never was any standards on the older ones , and the new standards hateful nothing in the realworld., , , America the ripoff, no affair what y'all buy.thanks for letting me vent, no pun intended.

Yes, I will confirm sealant options with Behr prior to proceeding with a sealant on summit of the epoxy. I volition as well ask nearly trying a third coat of the epoxy as a first step - the recommendation is to simply put down two coats. I wait this is for a more typical situation to ensure water vapour tin permeate from the concrete. Too, good point about the overhead subfloor. This has all been dusted and HEPA vacuumed as role of the remediation, however no effort was made to seal it. I sure promise that wont be necessary. The smell swatch test should provide an indication if it is.

Everything you lot're saying sounds reasonable. I'chiliad assuming that you've tried and ventilation and oestrus to see if yous could speed up and end off an mvoc off gas trouble. Before ownership whatever paint be sure to talk to the manufacturer about the coating that is already on the floor to be certain that information technology will bond successfully. Also I'm disappointed that a sealant didn't end off-gassing from the floor which in turn makes me want to repeat the smell patch on maybe wood framing and subflooring overhead or whatever insulation that may exist in the area.

ii THANK-YOUs:
Follow-up to questions Q1 and Q2. FIRST, give thanks-you for responding and so promptly to my questions! I'm very impressed.

And regarding Q2 a 2nd thank-you as I able to use the smell patch exam on your site to narrow downwardly and confirm the source of our problem ( https://inspectapedia.com/odor_diagnosis/Smell_Patch_Test.php ) I assessed various locations in the basement and it clearly identified the concrete floor equally the source.

This has saved me at least $250.00 for an IAQ inspector I had spoken to come up and inspect our house. Per your response, the basement has non had an ozone generator then, the smell must be related to mvocs from prior to the mold remediation that were captivated into the porous concrete and are at present off-gassing.

On the advice of another IAQ inspector I had hoped the 1-office Behr epoxy would assistance seal and prevent odors from the concrete just this theory has been proved wrong. I don't believe I have any pick just to put down a articulate olfactory property sealing product over the Behr epoxy.

Fortunately I don't accept a problem with h2o vapour seaping through the concrete (based on taping saran squares to the floor and checking for condensation under the saran) so sealing the physical should be ok. Can't wait to go this done and get the smell out of our home. FYI I will expect at smoke door sealing products from Fosters, Recon (Fiberlok) and Sentinel etc. to determine what is available locally too as what is effective and reasonably priced.

Anonymous by individual email asked:

Two Mold related questions coming from a northern climate (4 seasons, with cold winters and hot, humid summers).

Q1. Follow-up to your reader (July 2012) who used closed-jail cell spray foam on a dirt crawl space floor:

SITUATION: I hire a cottage and am helping the owner address a moisture/mold issue in the crawl space. The crawl space has an irregular (non flat) dirt floor with rock jutting upwards in many places. A local jack-of-all-trades contractor is recommending spray foam for the flooring, walls and headers; he states he's previously done this successfully on dirt floors. I haven't establish any reference to creating a moisture barrier past spray foaming a dirt flooring; other than from your reader from July 2012 (see beneath). Any updates about this arroyo? I'm apprehensive if just considering it doesn't seem to be a typical approach and I don't want u to be the ginny-pigs. The only mechanicals in the clamber space are a hot water tank and pump for in-take of lake water. At that place is some water puddling in one corner of the 1500 sq ft basement that volition be addressed, the moisture Barrie installed and so remediation of the moldy joists and electrical wiring.

Q2. Mail service-remediation Mold smell - how to accost mvoc off gassing from physical basement floor:

SITUATION: Over the by eighteen months nosotros have addressed a mold issue in ou basem including: fixing wall cracks where moisture was inbound, removing smelly drywall and fibre glass insulation, adding a moisture bulwark of closed cell spray foam to walls and headers and running two de-humidifiers to keep the moisture level under command. We also used a Zinsser shellac-based smell sealer on the underside of wooden steps, AFM Safecoat on the wooden 2x4 framing and Behr 1 part epoxy on the floor (2,000 sq ft). Smell got progressively better and afterwards all these actions was eventually gone (February/March).

BUT, now information technology'southward May, the environmental conditions accept inverse and the moldy/gassy smell is back. Given the basement is dry (~50% RH) I'm assuming the smell is off gassing from somewhere and I assume it's the floor (since the physical floor is porous and the ane-part epoxy paint is gas permeable). I'm currently doing your smell test with foil and paper towel taped to the flooring to test this supposition.

QUESTION: How can I clean the epoxy acrylic painted floor to purge the concert of mvocs (TSP alternative? ) and/or can I amend seal the mvoc off gassing from the floor? The situation is significant as the odour is making the house uninhabitable without having open windows and constant fresh air. I'm not certain where to plow - even knowing what kind of 'proficient' to contact isn't articulate. NOTE: because the basement is below form the temperature doesn't permit me to open windows without the RH jumping higher up threescore%. I volition try an HEPA air scrubber just don't meet that being a cure. Vacuuming with a HEPA vac has been inefffective.

Moderator Reply:

You could spray closed cell foam on a crawl infinite flooring - I recall about nobody does it because it'southward a pretty expensive alternative to 6-mil poly + cleaning the roof gutters. I'd adopt to spend on

- de-watering the crawl space

- removing any mold contamination

- laying down a properly-placed and sealed plastic moisture barrier (watch out some plastics also scent horrible from offgassing, especially in a confined space - might even be unsafe to breathe

- converting the crawl area to a dry, warmed, conditioned space if at all possible, such as by

- sealing air leaks such as at the rim joist

- insulating at least the perimeter

The flooring doesn't have to be level to put downwards poly but yous do need to consider where water might collect - under plastic is ok, on height of it means the installation made a mistdake.

Consider how irritating it'd exist if the floor is foamed, now harder than ever to access, and somebody has to go in at that place to install a sump.

Consider too how irritating it'd be to spray cream the floor, then discover you have to pay someone still more to squeeze over the foam through tighter spaces to do necessary mold remediation on all of those exposed forest surfaces or perhaps remove moldy insulation.

At InspecApedia.com you lot'll want to read the CRAWLSPACE DRYOUT articles.

About heating costs, most house estrus loss is upward and out - through air leaks at windows, doors, attics. Heat loss "down" into a crawl surface area is usually considerably less.
But yet, fixing drafts, stopping water entry, converting the clamber area to a closed, conditioned space, is current "All-time Practise".

Nearly connected odour off-gassing from concrete, if cleaning, ventilating, and drying out an area over a smelly physical slab don't prepare that problem - as it may not - yous may demand to seal the slab with an odor-sealant pigment such as is used by burn down restoration companies. Some mold fungicidal paints can besides work.

Merely before more than paint coatings allow'southward ask: did someone run an ozone generator in that space? Over-dosing with ozone tin can itself oxidize edifice materials and atomic number 82 to a troubling chemic odor trouble. Yous can notice OZONE WARNINGS in the Commodity INDEX along with more mold cleanup and crawlspace dryout manufactures.

No, it'southward sensible IF y'all can admission the expanse safely.

Sentry out: I did the very same thing in a horribly tight crawl infinite in a 1920's Poughkeepsie domicile, crawling into the space, unfolding and smoothing out half dozen-mil clear polyethylene sheeting every bit I went ahead - making the clamber easier.

I pushed the poly everywhere I could reach, fabricated it apartment, ran it a foot or so up walls, and made certain in that location would exist no areas that would puddle if water got into the space.

I figured I was reducing the rate of wet movement into the space and thus reducing moisture movement up into the home from the crawl - possible mold issues - even though there were some spots I couldn't fifty-fifty reach using a long stick to push button poly ahead.

But

Watch out: I was sickened by fumes off-gassing from the polyethylene sheeting itself.

After that nauseating job I made sure to smell the poly earlier ownership it and besides to air it out exterior in sunlight.

I don't know if I was breathing respiratory irritants or carcinogens or other toxins. In 2013 Mülhaupt (2013) pointed out that there was actually rather little research on the respiratory hazards of offgassing from such material. But the very next year but such hazards were cited by another researcher (Meng 2014).

Research on Toxic or Hazardous Offgassing from Polythylene Sheeting

Lithner, Delilah, Åke Larsson, and Göran Dave. "Environmental and wellness hazard ranking and assessment of plastic polymers based on chemical composition." Science of the Total Surroundings 409, no. 18 (2011): 3309-3324.

Mülhaupt, Rolf. "Green polymer chemical science and bio‐based plastics: dreams and reality." Macromolecular Chemistry and Physics 214, no. two (2013): 159-174.

Meng, Tingzhu Teresa. "Volatile organic compounds of polyethylene vinyl acetate plastic are toxic to living organisms." The Periodical of toxicological sciences 39, no. v (2014): 795-802.
Abstract:

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plastic products readily evaporate; as a issue, hazardous gases enter the ecosystem, and crusade cancer in humans and other animals. Polyethylene vinyl acetate (PEVA) plastic has recently become a popular alternative to PVC since information technology is chlorine-free. In order to determine whether PEVA is harmful to humans, this research employed the freshwater oligochaete Lumbriculus variegatus as a model to compare their oxygen intakes while they were exposed to the original stock solutions of PEVA, PVC or distilled water at a dissimilar length of fourth dimension for one day, four days or eight days. During the exposure periods, the oxygen intakes in both PEVA and PVC groups were much higher than in the distilled h2o grouping, indicating that VOCs in both PEVA and PVC were toxins that stressed L. variegatus. Furthermore, none of the worms fully recovered during the24-hr recovery period. Additionally, the L. variegatus did not clump together tightly after four or 8 days' exposure to either of the two types of plastic solutions, which meant that both PEVA and PVC negatively affected the social behaviors of these blackworms. The LD50 tests as well supported the observations higher up. For the first time, our results have shown that PEVA plastic has adverse furnishings on living organisms, and therefore information technology is not a condom culling to PVC. Further studies should identify specific compounds causing the agin furnishings, and make up one's mind whether toxic consequence occurs in more circuitous organisms, peculiarly humans.

Thanks Dan. A full encapsulation seems likely to be expensive (especially if information technology'll need repair later we eventually fix the skirting around the house), but I can reach near of the crawl space hands.

Would it be foolish to spend a few hundred dollars on materials to DIY "most" of the dirt covering rather than thousands on a complete ready?

We oasis't seen evidence of bulk water or mold issues; the house just gets humid and the clay soil stays damp for a long time after it rains.

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