David Nebenzahl wrote:
On 1/8/2009 10:10 AM Red spake thus:

On Jan 8, 1:53 am, David Nebenzahl wrote:

Anyone here with experience making a crawlspace moisture-resistant
(with plastic membranes or other means)?

Please read the question carefully before answering. Not looking
for speculation or even helpful links to things I can find myself
on the web. Looking for personal experience. (Funny anecdotes
accepted as well.)

Reason for the question is a client with a damp crawlspace, dirt
floor, and an overly-humid house. (Older house, vents installed,
but no circulator, dehumidifier, etc.)

I covered the ground with 10' wide strips of heavy plastic sheeting,
each side overlapped about 10" and taped with tape designed for
plastic sheeting. Around the perimeter, I staked it down 16d nails run
thru a plactic cap from roofing caps. I have found no signs of
moisture in my crawl space. However I did get a few holes in it where
mice got under it and chewed their way out. A few handfuls of Decon
thrown under there once a year stopped that problem.

Thanks. That's close to what I was thinking of doing.

Now for the next part: client would like to be able to walk on the dirt
(uses crawlspace, which is nearly basement height, to store stuff in).
How about throwing down a few sheets, say cheap OSB, over the plastic?
Would that be stupid and attract termites? The idea is to protect the
plastic membrane from being perforated.


Drain-through plastic matting, like they sell to use on loading docks
and commercial kitchen floors, would be a better bet. Or even plastic
48" pallets, if you can find a cheap local source for used ones. If it
is that tall, why not dig out part, and pour a slab? Aside from the
insect bait/rotting factor, you don't want a second vapor barrier, or
anything that could trap and hold grit against the plastic.

--
aem sends...