I agree with most of your guy’s ideology, and I mean this with all respect and no ill will. The game needs to change, all soil pushes up moisture and by sealing vapor barriers down, we are inviting one big Petri dish for microbial growth to develop underneath. Yes, even under dehumidification. Mold spores will escape, regardless of how sealed a crawl space is. Even concrete will sweat under a vapor barrier, depending on your climate area. Pouring concrete “over” a encapsulated crawl space vapor barrier should be the standard for crawl spaces. And encapsulated crawl spaces? Forget about it, danger... Foundation walls sweat from either side of a encapsulated crawl space, whether you’re in a hot or cold climate. Especially hot. I’m no expert at this, by no means, but moldy crawl spaces are destroying people’s lives from the stack effect. I’m interested to hear some respectable feedback, if anyone is interested. Cheers.
Great comment. Coming from the UK encapsulation is not a common practice. I agree with alot of what you have said, the putting plastic down will trap moisture. My fear is more where that moisture goes, up bricks no doubt and then pulled out once it reaches warmer areas? Though I guess in full encapsulation systems the walls are also encapsulated. The more dry you keep a crawl space, the more moisture gets pulled out the bricks, theore minerals are lost. So much to think about, it's genuinely baffling.
Michael has some great videos on crawl space ventilation... I agree concrete over a vapor barrier seems a good idea but this would be difficult and expensive for an existing home. My understanding is that mold spores go everywhere air goes - outdoors, living areas, and crawl spaces. Even if you could remove them all from a crawl space, you'd need zero ventilation to avoid drawing in air (mold) from somewhere else and zero ventilation would allow humidity to rise, making mold that eventually got in, as it would, more likely to grow. In my opinion, it's best to control crawl space humidity so that mold can't grow and that would be next to impossible without a vapor barrier. I encapsulated my crawl space and added a dehu, leaving one open vent which I filled with a 110 cfm exhaust fan, thus maintaining a constant small negative air pressure within the crawl space and my living area. On top of that, my radon levels are way down and we no longer smell crawl space air in the house (the stack effect mostly or completely negated). I'd argue FOR a vapor barrier regardless.
Great question, Scott! So one of the best ways to check for humidity is to use what's called a thermo hygrometer or a psychrometer. The biggest indicator that you need a sump pump is if your basement has flooded before. That either means you need to install a sump pump or that your sump pump needs to be replaced. Another key indicator that you need a sump pump is if there’s water buildup anywhere in your basement. That water means that water is finding its way into your basement but not out of it. We appreciate you watching our video and hope you have found the information helpful. Please let us know if you have any other questions. Have a great weekend!
your content is incredible. thanks for all the great videos. Do you have any videos where you've had to do an uneven crawlspace? my home was built in the 1930s and has a dirt (georgia clay actually) crawl space. at some point someone has dug out about a 3rd of it so that there is about 6 feet of space floor to ceiling. the rear 2/3 is a dirt wall. how do you put vapor barrier over such An uneven space? do I need to build a wall and back fill or is there a simpler solution? #askaninja
Thanks....more good Ninja advice. I started my crawl space "journey" about a year ago when I realized the home we bought had a serious moisture/water problem. I asked our local Ninja rep to come take a look and he gave excellent advice. First installed a perimeter drain tile and sump pump which worked great in addressing all of the visible water issues. Then installed a commercial dehumidifier hoping to dry things out before proceeding with mold remediation and encapsulation. The dehumidifier ran continuously for months, but I could never get moisture levels below about 70%. There was simply too much moisture still coming out of the dirt floor...even with the drain tile/pump. As a temporary measure, I place some 3 mill plastic over the whole (dirt) floor and conditions improved dramatically. Moisture levels quickly dropped below 60% and the dehumidifier rarely runs now. Next steps will be removing old (dead) mold growth, insulating the walls, and encapsulating the crawl space. Thumbs up to Crawlspace Ninjas.....they know their stuff!
Need you expertise please. Mobile home under carriages have a plastic placed in the ground directly. They have insulation and another plastic attached to the bottom of the house. Prior to buying the house it was repaired incorrectly is there a foam insulation that can be used because I can’t find anyone who can mount on their back the plastic barrier?
Hi i have a 14 by 70 mobile home im in the process of installing vapor barrier and it has metal underpinning but no vents would you recomend installing a fan vent that shut off automatically to keep the moisture down i see vidoes about block foundations but none on proper ways to keep moisture down for metal underpinning thanks
The information you have been providing is excellent! I do need my crawl spaces encapsulated. I have contacted 9 contractors in my area, number 10 and 11 are coming next week. So far I found 1 contractor that I like. Some of these contractors are very well known names but based on my crawl space conditions, your information and the information from the contractors I wouldn't trust any of them. Keep the information coming. Wish you did work in Wisconsin. I'd hire on the spot.
Alex, thank you for the kind words. We are delighted that our information is helpful to you. If you ever want to learn more, make sure to visit www.crawlspaceninja.com
You cannot find impartial advice on this question anywhere. This is a desert here, very low precipitation and the house sits on a slope and the soil is sandy and well drained. Every internet search on this question turns up commercial concerns that sell the material or install barriers. Every one. and they all recommend installation no matter the prevailing climate.
The information is based on where you live. Encapsulation does a variety of things for your home. If you would like to understand the science behind it we are happy to do a one on one consultation
I paid $1000 to refinish hardwood floors in a 950 sq-foot house. This was in the SF Bay Area, so a very expensive place. I believe the cost was at the low end and the job just blew me away with how well it was done. The "company" was nothing more than a Vietnamese guy who's English was ok but not great. I found this company/person via a referral from a real estate agent. Being a 1 person company, I think he had a competitive advantage because his business overhead was possibly close to zero.
Just had my mom insulation redone in my crawl space. R n r old, in with the new. I am 64 this month, tired of crawling under houses so had four bids. Bids being highest #4, lowest #1, I went with bid #2. The two high bids said they taped all joints. The other two did not mention it, I did not ask. I am a retired electrician, don’t know code. Turns out it is not code here in Washington to tape the joints, but just overlap a foot. After watching a couple of your videos I will see what I need to do. I know low bid does not usually work. Kind of bummed I have to go under the house to fix it. They also used black plastic. Now you cannot see anything under the house without a very bright flashlight.
Doug, sorry you've got to go under the house again. The black plastic definitely creates challenges for seeing things in a crawl space. We appreciate you watching. Have a happy and blessed day!
Is it a bad idea, in an area where no one has suggested encapsulating (Central Coast California, Morro Bay - on the ocean) would it be a bad idea to do the job in steps to see if the problem gets solved prior to finishing all the steps? First of all I have no fan in the crawl space, just vents, would it do me much good to just install a fan and do nothing else? Or the steps, like cleaning up the mold then sealing vents and putting dehumidifier first, then if mold ceases your done? If not then put in a vapor barrier on the ground, if that does not do the job, then seal the vapor barrier to the "ceiling" of crawl space with closed cell foam as a final step if the first two steps don't do the job? Is this a bad way to go about it? Should it all be done to start with or is a partial job enough in some places? I am just surprised that all the "experts" around me are saying things like "Well other cement slab houses aren't having problems" (I do not know if those have crawl spaces though) and they did not install ANYTHING under the house, its bare wood and was on just a dirt pit but luckily they dug to much dirt and had to fill with self leveling cement to make it safe again. So I lost a touch of not so useful space but gained security, when I first moved in the "door" to the crawl space sitting flat to the ground was PACKED with mold, but 1 year later with no real remediation cause none of the experts really pushed anything, the door was clean but now random furniture and other random stuff is growing mold inside the house. Over 80-95% humidity at times.... THANK YOU ALL WHO REPLY/HELP! Happy Holidays!!!
As stated well by Michael, It can be broken down via a simple process. The space is sealed.. moisture will not exclusively be retained in the drain tile and sump pump if there is no vapor barrier to keep it contained. The moisture 'vapor' will move upward and cause humidity in the sealed space, even with a dehumidifier (which btw would be over taxed and increase monthly bill). Great content, as always! Currently in the process of a DIY encapsulation, and it's slow moving! Seems to be one thing after the next to figure out even after researching tooth and nail. This is one project I'd suggest paying the pros to do! :) I'm just stubborn and a glutton for punishment.
Just bought a home in Bushkill, PA. The home was built in the 1970s. There were vapor barriers on the ground under the foundation cinderblocks which means the vapor barriers were laid down before the house was built. There is a trench going around the perimeter of the basement, which must have been build before the home was built as well as the ground is rocky and very hard to work. I went to work on three occasions removing this vapor barrier, moving heavy stones, lumber, and stored metal garage parts, as well as cutting the plastic around the cinderblocks. I had filled 15 large garbage bags with wet and moldy vapor barriers. The bare floor at this point is better than what was there. Next, I have to consider the moist insulation hanging from the crawlspace ceiling. There is fiberglass, some foil-air bubble insulation, and plastic stapled to the ceiling, falling down and soaking wet. I have to install a dehumidifier, but I think I better redo the ceiling insulation first. Any recommendations about the crawlspace ceiling? Thank you
Our home was moved to it's current location in the 1950s, at the time they also built a room addition on the back of the house. But instead of laying down a concrete slab they built a foot wide ledge and back filled it with 6 ft of rock and dirt. There were no drains or sump pumps ever added, as it has never flooded and it's dry as a bone under there. Well now we want to put concrete in there and use it as storage but every time I ask a contractor about it I get conflicting stories on how to do this
I listened to your utube and enjoyed it. My question is I had some water go into my vents and went on top of the plastic barrier. I put vent wells in my vents . If I have the barrier up against the wall how will the water go underneath the barrier. Confused how to put the barrier if water came into the crawl space again? Thanks
Hey Doug Cormack, Check out this video we did on what to do when water gets on the vapor barrier: czcams.com/video/Fmms2RDCFok/video.html Thanks for watching and have a blessed day
what about a crawl space down here in florida on sandy soil with a very high water table? i have a manufactured home that sits about 2' up on blocks and has a cinder stemwall around the perimeter. the underside the house soil is almost always very wet and the supports under the house tend to shift a bit depending on the season. i had thought about putting a vapor barrier down and putting some form of sump into the ground to pull the moisture out from under the house. the issue is the house is 30 feet from a lake, so the water table under the house always meets the water level of the lake, trying to remove water could wind up just being a complete waste of time. mostly i just want to try and eliminate mold from forming, even though it hasn't been a major issue inside the house, but underneath is smells rather stagnant.
New homeowner and overwhelmed by crawl space with humidity and odor issues. I recently purchased a home (1970s build) with a 500 sqft unvented crawl space under main living room. The original owners informed me that the crawl space floor has a layer of gravel on the soil with concrete on top without vapor barrier underneath. Moisture meter readings on the concrete surface range 60-90% contributing to 60%+ humidity in the air. No plumbing leaks or standing water issues. No sump pump or drainage system but I plan to add those in the near future. What would you recommend for this situation? Dehumidifier and 20mil vapor barrier on top of concrete or will that cause mold issues between concrete and barrier from concrete sweating? None of my local companies I’ve spoken to think I should encapsulate but instead just ventilate but that seems off. Thank you for your time and extremely helpful content!
I would do dehumidifier and vapor barrier over concrete. Mold should not be an issue if there is no organic material like paint, wood on concrete. We've covered concrete and works well to control humidity.
Are there any downside to using Rockwool to insulate my crawlspace? Or for the rim joists? How about the crawlspace walls (cinder block and brick walls)
I watched my cousin turn down a licensed, insured concrete contractor to do stairs and a driveway for $10,000. Instead he hired the framers uncle who charged $6000 but nickel and dimed him til the money ran out then never finished the job. He had to hire another guy to finish and fix the cheap guys work. He ended up paying an additional $7000. I made a small fortune after hurricane Katrina repairing ‘cheap sheetrock guys’ terrible work. People always make the mistake thinking the higher priced guy is ‘over-charging’. I ate lunch with some various contractors once (roofers, electricians, hvac guys ) one of them was saying he held no mercy charging high prices stating that: “.. charge em cuz if you dont- they think something is wrong!” Years later my approach is to try to price myself out of the job so if I get it I can offer a lifetime guarantee.
I found your videos because I have regular flooding in my crawl space. The foundation is cement block as are the piers. It never dries out but I try and keep the standing water pumped out. There is only about 18” of clearance from ground to joists. I’m near Tulsa. What would you recommend as a first step?
Videos like this make me wonder why new construction on crawlspaces aren't already encapsulated. Plus, with the variety of grief that can happen to a house, I wonder why we even bother.
Charles - Building crews are primarily concerned with minimizing build costs. In contrast to encapsulating a crawl space, it is much more cost-effective for the building crew to leave the dirt crawl space as is. If necessary, the building crew does not want to pay for a vapor barrier in the crawlspace and a dehumidifier in the basement. They just want to build the house and move on. It is for this reason that some building crews may just leave you with a dirt crawl space. Unfortunately, they don't really care whether or not your crawl space is healthy. Their goal is to manufacture the home as cheaply as possible. A lot of building crews skip encapsulating a crawl space due to the additional cost.
QUESTION for you: Hello from Houston TX!! My husband and are buying our first house on pier and beam. When we did the inspection there was up to 6" of standing water in the crawl space under the house and it had rained several days before! We have been getting quotes and every foundation guy wants to do something different. The whole house is sinking in the middle. We don't know what to do first. The perimeter around the house is higher of course than the crawl space and there is lattice covering the crawl space and the crawl space itself is only 12-24". Some say grade under, some say add more supports, some say French drain, moisture barrier, level the grounds under the house then add more supports. We don't know who to believe. WHAT DO WE DO?? Sincerely, Lost and confused.
I have a dirt crawl space. I Did a vapor barrier this last weekend with 10 mil plastic, I checked it today. It’s a lot dryer, and air even seems better in crawl space. Took two days, cleaned out old vapor barrier one day, installed new one next day.
Hi Scott, it seems like I am going to have to do the same thing considering my home insurance states that is the problem. I'm actually dealing with what seems to be that the moisture is expanding my sub floor causing it to affect my laminate flooring. How did you find out the vapor barrier was something you needed? I grew up without anything like this being needed under my house and never had to run a dehumidifier but I know certain soil and homes are different. Thanks!!
I have a cripple wall foundation so the concrete only comes up about 5-6 inches. I plan on insulating the cripple wall, but wondering if the plastic is supposed to go up past the concrete and over the cripple wall (covering the insulation). Thanks!!
I have had a standing water issue in my crawl space. I have a sump pump but no trench or French drain. The water is usually in 1 spot only but I’ve noticed some dampness in the floor. The floor isn’t necessarily concrete but not dirt either. There are spots that have loose plastic on the ground then there’s nothing. I’ve been contemplating doing a vapor barrier myself to save cost but also to mitigate the moisture issue. I also plan on putting in a dehumidifier in my crawl space. Any tips?
That may work, just check standing water levels after a major rain to see if there are areas that get worse. Also, it is likely the crawl space will become wetter as time goes on, not drier, if it is not addressed with a full water management system.
Michael, We are installing I-joist for a floor over a space that will not have enough room for a traditional crawl space. We have installed 3-4" of clean gravel on the ground leaving roughly a 5 inch gap. The potential for water intrusion from outside the building is extremely low. The potential for water penetrating this space from inside the building is higher then from outside (some potential mishap-overflow sink, washing machine, etc.) The building is in western Montana. I am debating if I should install a vapor barrier for concern it may prevent water from dissipating into the gravel/ground should it come from inside the building. What would you recommend in this situation? Thanks. Davis
This is a tricky one. On the one hand the damaging effects of ground water evaporating into humidity are constant. While the potential for a leak is a real possibility but not a constant. I'd rather deal with the constant threat of humidity. I hope I read your question correctly and I hope my answer helps.
In answer to your question. The cheapest contractor did a good enough job. Wasn’t a perfect job but I didn’t need that and fine with things. (It was a concrete job). Other times I do really care and only want the best job and best contractor.
The French drain /drain tile should be below the level of the original slab (next to the footing), and the slab that was torn out should be repaired with new concrete. The vapor barrier should go over the entire slab (old slab plus repaired area).
I used to go with the cheapest bid but learned over time to regret it. Now I ask lots of questions and go with the contractor that is responsive/punctual to questions but not necessarily the cheapest.
We can have a one on consultation if you would like! That way we can answer all your questions and give a step by step guide! Here is a link - buymeacoffee.com/csninja/e/111638
I have a home that a vapor barrier was put down in the crawl space. It is nastier to g o down there compared to previous. This home was a rental and tenant had mice. Didn't notify me. And now I feel that I am breathing in mouse poop. I feel if the vapor barrier was not there the earth would absorb this to an extent. I feel like a vapor barrier attached to underbelly would work out better.
Yeah we thought we didn’t need any either and now our real hardwood floors are extremely buckled! Let’s just say you wouldn’t want to roller skate on them! This costly mistake has killed our wallet and has us confused on what to do?!?
So sorry to hear that! Sounds like you definitely want to start controlling humidity asap. Here is a video we did on hardwood floors cupping if you want to learn more: czcams.com/video/cfIKcprXpSM/video.html
I agree with most of your guy’s ideology, and I mean this with all respect and no ill will. The game needs to change, all soil pushes up moisture and by sealing vapor barriers down, we are inviting one big Petri dish for microbial growth to develop underneath. Yes, even under dehumidification. Mold spores will escape, regardless of how sealed a crawl space is. Even concrete will sweat under a vapor barrier, depending on your climate area. Pouring concrete “over” a encapsulated crawl space vapor barrier should be the standard for crawl spaces. And encapsulated crawl spaces? Forget about it, danger... Foundation walls sweat from either side of a encapsulated crawl space, whether you’re in a hot or cold climate. Especially hot. I’m no expert at this, by no means, but moldy crawl spaces are destroying people’s lives from the stack effect. I’m interested to hear some respectable feedback, if anyone is interested. Cheers.
Great comment. Coming from the UK encapsulation is not a common practice. I agree with alot of what you have said, the putting plastic down will trap moisture. My fear is more where that moisture goes, up bricks no doubt and then pulled out once it reaches warmer areas? Though I guess in full encapsulation systems the walls are also encapsulated. The more dry you keep a crawl space, the more moisture gets pulled out the bricks, theore minerals are lost. So much to think about, it's genuinely baffling.
Michael has some great videos on crawl space ventilation... I agree concrete over a vapor barrier seems a good idea but this would be difficult and expensive for an existing home. My understanding is that mold spores go everywhere air goes - outdoors, living areas, and crawl spaces. Even if you could remove them all from a crawl space, you'd need zero ventilation to avoid drawing in air (mold) from somewhere else and zero ventilation would allow humidity to rise, making mold that eventually got in, as it would, more likely to grow. In my opinion, it's best to control crawl space humidity so that mold can't grow and that would be next to impossible without a vapor barrier. I encapsulated my crawl space and added a dehu, leaving one open vent which I filled with a 110 cfm exhaust fan, thus maintaining a constant small negative air pressure within the crawl space and my living area. On top of that, my radon levels are way down and we no longer smell crawl space air in the house (the stack effect mostly or completely negated). I'd argue FOR a vapor barrier regardless.
I agree with you on the plastic.
How can you determine at what amount of moisture in the dirt flood crawlspace do you require a sump pump and proper drainage?
Great question, Scott! So one of the best ways to check for humidity is to use what's called a thermo hygrometer or a psychrometer. The biggest indicator that you need a sump pump is if your basement has flooded before. That either means you need to install a sump pump or that your sump pump needs to be replaced.
Another key indicator that you need a sump pump is if there’s water buildup anywhere in your basement. That water means that water is finding its way into your basement but not out of it. We appreciate you watching our video and hope you have found the information helpful. Please let us know if you have any other questions. Have a great weekend!
your content is incredible. thanks for all the great videos. Do you have any videos where you've had to do an uneven crawlspace? my home was built in the 1930s and has a dirt (georgia clay actually) crawl space. at some point someone has dug out about a 3rd of it so that there is about 6 feet of space floor to ceiling. the rear 2/3 is a dirt wall. how do you put vapor barrier over such An uneven space? do I need to build a wall and back fill or is there a simpler solution? #askaninja
Thanks....more good Ninja advice. I started my crawl space "journey" about a year ago when I realized the home we bought had a serious moisture/water problem. I asked our local Ninja rep to come take a look and he gave excellent advice. First installed a perimeter drain tile and sump pump which worked great in addressing all of the visible water issues. Then installed a commercial dehumidifier hoping to dry things out before proceeding with mold remediation and encapsulation. The dehumidifier ran continuously for months, but I could never get moisture levels below about 70%. There was simply too much moisture still coming out of the dirt floor...even with the drain tile/pump. As a temporary measure, I place some 3 mill plastic over the whole (dirt) floor and conditions improved dramatically. Moisture levels quickly dropped below 60% and the dehumidifier rarely runs now. Next steps will be removing old (dead) mold growth, insulating the walls, and encapsulating the crawl space. Thumbs up to Crawlspace Ninjas.....they know their stuff!
Need you expertise please. Mobile home under carriages have a plastic placed in the ground directly. They have insulation and another plastic attached to the bottom of the house. Prior to buying the house it was repaired incorrectly is there a foam insulation that can be used because I can’t find anyone who can mount on their back the plastic barrier?
@@walterking3419why are you asking him?
Hi i have a 14 by 70 mobile home im in the process of installing vapor barrier and it has metal underpinning but no vents would you recomend installing a fan vent that shut off automatically to keep the moisture down i see vidoes about block foundations but none on proper ways to keep moisture down for metal underpinning thanks
The information you have been providing is excellent! I do need my crawl spaces encapsulated. I have contacted 9 contractors in my area, number 10 and 11 are coming next week. So far I found 1 contractor that I like. Some of these contractors are very well known names but based on my crawl space conditions, your information and the information from the contractors I wouldn't trust any of them. Keep the information coming. Wish you did work in Wisconsin. I'd hire on the spot.
Alex, thank you for the kind words. We are delighted that our information is helpful to you. If you ever want to learn more, make sure to visit www.crawlspaceninja.com
I wish he did work in IL, I would also hire him on the spot
my dirt floor crawl space required a plastic cover over sand overlapped and held/ weighted down by local code
You cannot find impartial advice on this question anywhere. This is a desert here, very low precipitation and the house sits on a slope and the soil is sandy and well drained. Every internet search on this question turns up commercial concerns that sell the material or install barriers. Every one. and they all recommend installation no matter the prevailing climate.
The information is based on where you live. Encapsulation does a variety of things for your home. If you would like to understand the science behind it we are happy to do a one on one consultation
I paid $1000 to refinish hardwood floors in a 950 sq-foot house. This was in the SF Bay Area, so a very expensive place. I believe the cost was at the low end and the job just blew me away with how well it was done. The "company" was nothing more than a Vietnamese guy who's English was ok but not great. I found this company/person via a referral from a real estate agent. Being a 1 person company, I think he had a competitive advantage because his business overhead was possibly close to zero.
And more than likely paying no taxes on the income (Thats his edge).
Just had my mom insulation redone in my crawl space. R n r old, in with the new. I am 64 this month, tired of crawling under houses so had four bids. Bids being highest #4, lowest #1, I went with bid #2. The two high bids said they taped all joints. The other two did not mention it, I did not ask. I am a retired electrician, don’t know code. Turns out it is not code here in Washington to tape the joints, but just overlap a foot. After watching a couple of your videos
I will see what I need to do. I know low bid does not usually work. Kind of bummed I have to go under the house to fix it. They also used black plastic. Now you cannot see anything under the house without a very bright flashlight.
Doug, sorry you've got to go under the house again. The black plastic definitely creates challenges for seeing things in a crawl space. We appreciate you watching. Have a happy and blessed day!
Is it a bad idea, in an area where no one has suggested encapsulating (Central Coast California, Morro Bay - on the ocean) would it be a bad idea to do the job in steps to see if the problem gets solved prior to finishing all the steps? First of all I have no fan in the crawl space, just vents, would it do me much good to just install a fan and do nothing else? Or the steps, like cleaning up the mold then sealing vents and putting dehumidifier first, then if mold ceases your done? If not then put in a vapor barrier on the ground, if that does not do the job, then seal the vapor barrier to the "ceiling" of crawl space with closed cell foam as a final step if the first two steps don't do the job? Is this a bad way to go about it? Should it all be done to start with or is a partial job enough in some places? I am just surprised that all the "experts" around me are saying things like "Well other cement slab houses aren't having problems" (I do not know if those have crawl spaces though) and they did not install ANYTHING under the house, its bare wood and was on just a dirt pit but luckily they dug to much dirt and had to fill with self leveling cement to make it safe again. So I lost a touch of not so useful space but gained security, when I first moved in the "door" to the crawl space sitting flat to the ground was PACKED with mold, but 1 year later with no real remediation cause none of the experts really pushed anything, the door was clean but now random furniture and other random stuff is growing mold inside the house. Over 80-95% humidity at times....
THANK YOU ALL WHO REPLY/HELP! Happy Holidays!!!
As stated well by Michael, It can be broken down via a simple process. The space is sealed.. moisture will not exclusively be retained in the drain tile and sump pump if there is no vapor barrier to keep it contained. The moisture 'vapor' will move upward and cause humidity in the sealed space, even with a dehumidifier (which btw would be over taxed and increase monthly bill). Great content, as always! Currently in the process of a DIY encapsulation, and it's slow moving! Seems to be one thing after the next to figure out even after researching tooth and nail. This is one project I'd suggest paying the pros to do! :) I'm just stubborn and a glutton for punishment.
Just bought a home in Bushkill, PA. The home was built in the 1970s. There were vapor barriers on the ground under the foundation cinderblocks which means the vapor barriers were laid down before the house was built. There is a trench going around the perimeter of the basement, which must have been build before the home was built as well as the ground is rocky and very hard to work. I went to work on three occasions removing this vapor barrier, moving heavy stones, lumber, and stored metal garage parts, as well as cutting the plastic around the cinderblocks. I had filled 15 large garbage bags with wet and moldy vapor barriers. The bare floor at this point is better than what was there. Next, I have to consider the moist insulation hanging from the crawlspace ceiling. There is fiberglass, some foil-air bubble insulation, and plastic stapled to the ceiling, falling down and soaking wet. I have to install a dehumidifier, but I think I better redo the ceiling insulation first. Any recommendations about the crawlspace ceiling? Thank you
Have you ever seen a crawl space that needed encapsulation, but did not need a trench and sump pump ?
Our home was moved to it's current location in the 1950s, at the time they also built a room addition on the back of the house. But instead of laying down a concrete slab they built a foot wide ledge and back filled it with 6 ft of rock and dirt. There were no drains or sump pumps ever added, as it has never flooded and it's dry as a bone under there. Well now we want to put concrete in there and use it as storage but every time I ask a contractor about it I get conflicting stories on how to do this
Wow! Feel free to submit a Ask a Ninja form so we can tackle this together!
I listened to your utube and enjoyed it. My question is I had some water go into my vents and went on top of the plastic barrier. I put vent wells in my vents . If I have the barrier up against the wall how will the water go underneath the barrier. Confused how to put the barrier if water came into the crawl space again? Thanks
Hey Doug Cormack, Check out this video we did on what to do when water gets on the vapor barrier:
czcams.com/video/Fmms2RDCFok/video.html
Thanks for watching and have a blessed day
what about a crawl space down here in florida on sandy soil with a very high water table? i have a manufactured home that sits about 2' up on blocks and has a cinder stemwall around the perimeter. the underside the house soil is almost always very wet and the supports under the house tend to shift a bit depending on the season. i had thought about putting a vapor barrier down and putting some form of sump into the ground to pull the moisture out from under the house. the issue is the house is 30 feet from a lake, so the water table under the house always meets the water level of the lake, trying to remove water could wind up just being a complete waste of time.
mostly i just want to try and eliminate mold from forming, even though it hasn't been a major issue inside the house, but underneath is smells rather stagnant.
For In=-depth information please submit a Ask a Ninja form here and we are happy to help! - crawlspaceninja.com/ask-a-ninja/
New homeowner and overwhelmed by crawl space with humidity and odor issues.
I recently purchased a home (1970s build) with a 500 sqft unvented crawl space under main living room. The original owners informed me that the crawl space floor has a layer of gravel on the soil with concrete on top without vapor barrier underneath. Moisture meter readings on the concrete surface range 60-90% contributing to 60%+ humidity in the air. No plumbing leaks or standing water issues. No sump pump or drainage system but I plan to add those in the near future.
What would you recommend for this situation? Dehumidifier and 20mil vapor barrier on top of concrete or will that cause mold issues between concrete and barrier from concrete sweating?
None of my local companies I’ve spoken to think I should encapsulate but instead just ventilate but that seems off.
Thank you for your time and extremely helpful content!
I would do dehumidifier and vapor barrier over concrete. Mold should not be an issue if there is no organic material like paint, wood on concrete. We've covered concrete and works well to control humidity.
@@CrawlSpaceNinja thank you!
Are there any downside to using Rockwool to insulate my crawlspace? Or for the rim joists? How about the crawlspace walls (cinder block and brick walls)
Use hempcrete
I watched my cousin turn down a licensed, insured concrete contractor to do stairs and a driveway for $10,000. Instead he hired the framers uncle who charged $6000 but nickel and dimed him til the money ran out then never finished the job. He had to hire another guy to finish and fix the cheap guys work. He ended up paying an additional $7000.
I made a small fortune after hurricane Katrina repairing ‘cheap sheetrock guys’ terrible work. People always make the mistake thinking the higher priced guy is ‘over-charging’.
I ate lunch with some various contractors once (roofers, electricians, hvac guys ) one of them was saying he held no mercy charging high prices stating that: “.. charge em cuz if you dont- they think something is wrong!”
Years later my approach is to try to price myself out of the job so if I get it I can offer a lifetime guarantee.
Great words of wisdom, thanks for sharing.
I found your videos because I have regular flooding in my crawl space. The foundation is cement block as are the piers. It never dries out but I try and keep the standing water pumped out. There is only about 18” of clearance from ground to joists. I’m near Tulsa. What would you recommend as a first step?
For expert advice please fill out this Ask a Ninja Form - crawlspaceninja.com/ask-a-ninja/
Videos like this make me wonder why new construction on crawlspaces aren't already encapsulated. Plus, with the variety of grief that can happen to a house, I wonder why we even bother.
Charles - Building crews are primarily concerned with minimizing build costs. In contrast to encapsulating a crawl space, it is much more cost-effective for the building crew to leave the dirt crawl space as is. If necessary, the building crew does not want to pay for a vapor barrier in the crawlspace and a dehumidifier in the basement. They just want to build the house and move on.
It is for this reason that some building crews may just leave you with a dirt crawl space. Unfortunately, they don't really care whether or not your crawl space is healthy. Their goal is to manufacture the home as cheaply as possible. A lot of building crews skip encapsulating a crawl space due to the additional cost.
QUESTION for you: Hello from Houston TX!! My husband and are buying our first house on pier and beam. When we did the inspection there was up to 6" of standing water in the crawl space under the house and it had rained several days before! We have been getting quotes and every foundation guy wants to do something different. The whole house is sinking in the middle. We don't know what to do first. The perimeter around the house is higher of course than the crawl space and there is lattice covering the crawl space and the crawl space itself is only 12-24". Some say grade under, some say add more supports, some say French drain, moisture barrier, level the grounds under the house then add more supports. We don't know who to believe. WHAT DO WE DO?? Sincerely, Lost and confused.
Don’t buy that house
I have a dirt crawl space. I Did a vapor barrier this last weekend with 10 mil plastic, I checked it today. It’s a lot dryer, and air even seems better in crawl space. Took two days, cleaned out old vapor barrier one day, installed new one next day.
Hi Scott, it seems like I am going to have to do the same thing considering my home insurance states that is the problem. I'm actually dealing with what seems to be that the moisture is expanding my sub floor causing it to affect my laminate flooring. How did you find out the vapor barrier was something you needed? I grew up without anything like this being needed under my house and never had to run a dehumidifier but I know certain soil and homes are different.
Thanks!!
I have a cripple wall foundation so the concrete only comes up about 5-6 inches. I plan on insulating the cripple wall, but wondering if the plastic is supposed to go up past the concrete and over the cripple wall (covering the insulation). Thanks!!
Good Luck!
@@CrawlSpaceNinja should the vapor barrier cover the insulation?
You should offer a paid consultation service for those in areas where you don't service.
I have had a standing water issue in my crawl space. I have a sump pump but no trench or French drain. The water is usually in 1 spot only but I’ve noticed some dampness in the floor. The floor isn’t necessarily concrete but not dirt either. There are spots that have loose plastic on the ground then there’s nothing. I’ve been contemplating doing a vapor barrier myself to save cost but also to mitigate the moisture issue. I also plan on putting in a dehumidifier in my crawl space. Any tips?
That may work, just check standing water levels after a major rain to see if there are areas that get worse. Also, it is likely the crawl space will become wetter as time goes on, not drier, if it is not addressed with a full water management system.
Michael,
We are installing I-joist for a floor over a space that will not have enough room for a traditional crawl space. We have installed 3-4" of clean gravel on the ground leaving roughly a 5 inch gap.
The potential for water intrusion from outside the building is extremely low. The potential for water penetrating this space from inside the building is higher then from outside (some potential mishap-overflow sink, washing machine, etc.) The building is in western Montana.
I am debating if I should install a vapor barrier for concern it may prevent water from dissipating into the gravel/ground should it come from inside the building.
What would you recommend in this situation?
Thanks.
Davis
This is a tricky one. On the one hand the damaging effects of ground water evaporating into humidity are constant. While the potential for a leak is a real possibility but not a constant. I'd rather deal with the constant threat of humidity. I hope I read your question correctly and I hope my answer helps.
In answer to your question. The cheapest contractor did a good enough job. Wasn’t a perfect job but I didn’t need that and fine with things. (It was a concrete job). Other times I do really care and only want the best job and best contractor.
I have no water in my crawl space should I still put a vapor barrier down
Yes, it will still protect against humidity and moit
I have a french drain. Would you put the vapor barrier around the french drain?
The French drain /drain tile should be below the level of the original slab (next to the footing), and the slab that was torn out should be repaired with new concrete. The vapor barrier should go over the entire slab (old slab plus repaired area).
The vapor barrier should be installed on top of the buried drain system.
I have regreted the cheapest contractor in the past😅
Hey neighbor, nice signs 😅
Hello and thank you
I used to go with the cheapest bid but learned over time to regret it. Now I ask lots of questions and go with the contractor that is responsive/punctual to questions but not necessarily the cheapest.
Trust your gut. The world isn’t black and white so cheapest at all costs tends to cost unexpectedly
At 59, I have owned several homes and different parts of the country, and I have never hired a contractor.
Being handy definitely has its benefits when it comes to home improvement projects. Thanks for watching!
Mine was a good decision
Thanks for sharing
if you have a old house made from brick you will have moisture coming into your home from the walls in your basement and crawl space to.
Yes, most likely all older homes are leaking around the foundation. Thank you for sharing.
Not sure. The whole process I m not sure about
We can have a one on consultation if you would like! That way we can answer all your questions and give a step by step guide! Here is a link - buymeacoffee.com/csninja/e/111638
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I have a home that a vapor barrier was put down in the crawl space. It is nastier to g o down there compared to previous. This home was a rental and tenant had mice. Didn't notify me. And now I feel that I am breathing in mouse poop. I feel if the vapor barrier was not there the earth would absorb this to an extent. I feel like a vapor barrier attached to underbelly would work out better.
Interesting thought. If you would like more information feel free to submit a Ask a Ninja Form for expert advice - crawlspaceninja.com/ask-a-ninja/
Yeah we thought we didn’t need any either and now our real hardwood floors are extremely buckled! Let’s just say you wouldn’t want to roller skate on them! This costly mistake has killed our wallet and has us confused on what to do?!?
So sorry to hear that! Sounds like you definitely want to start controlling humidity asap. Here is a video we did on hardwood floors cupping if you want to learn more: czcams.com/video/cfIKcprXpSM/video.html
Yes. I regret the cheap hire. But I did not have extra $$.
we have all done it.
Yes, I have regret from hiring the lowest bidder.