The humidity in the crawl space is high during rainy season (winter) here,
and I want to set up a dehumidifier. This means I need to close the crawl
space vents temporarily. In the summer I won't need the dehumidifier and the
vents would have to be opened again.

What's a good way to close the vents that is easy to re-open? I prefer being
able to open and close them from the outside so I don't have to crawl into
the crawl space.

Some of my house vents are "sunken" similar to this pic (not my house, just
using it for convenience). Actually mine is sunken even deeper.

http://www.pugetsoundhomeinspections...143554_std.jpg

I search the web and found only one closable crawl space vent. Is there
something I can pick up at a local hardware store?

http://www.iaqsource.com/product.php...product=174938

On Feb 1, 11:19*pm, "david" wrote:
The humidity in the crawl space is high during rainy season (winter) here,
and I want to set up a dehumidifier. This means I need to close the crawl
space vents temporarily. In the summer I won't need the dehumidifier and the
vents would have to be opened again.

What's a good way to close the vents that is easy to re-open? I prefer being
able to open and close them from the outside so I don't have to crawl into
the crawl space.

Some of my house vents are "sunken" similar to this pic (not my house, just
using it for convenience). Actually mine is sunken even deeper.

http://www.pugetsoundhomeinspections...in/assets/imag...

I search the web and found only one closable crawl space vent. Is there
something I can pick up at a local hardware store?

http://www.iaqsource.com/product.php...product=174938

I made covers for one house from sheet Styrofoam. I used a circular
saw to cut it, as no other tool left as clean an edge, or was quite as
accurate. we used them for 10 years and they were still there when we
moved.

On Feb 2, 5:32*am, Eric in North TX wrote:
On Feb 1, 11:19*pm, "david" wrote:





The humidity in the crawl space is high during rainy season (winter) here,
and I want to set up a dehumidifier. This means I need to close the crawl
space vents temporarily. In the summer I won't need the dehumidifier and the
vents would have to be opened again.

What's a good way to close the vents that is easy to re-open? I prefer being
able to open and close them from the outside so I don't have to crawl into
the crawl space.

Some of my house vents are "sunken" similar to this pic (not my house, just
using it for convenience). Actually mine is sunken even deeper.

http://www.pugetsoundhomeinspections...in/assets/imag...

I search the web and found only one closable crawl space vent. Is there
something I can pick up at a local hardware store?

http://www.iaqsource.com/product.php...product=174938

I made covers for one house from sheet Styrofoam. I used a *circular
saw to cut it, as no other tool left as clean an edge, or was quite as
accurate. we used them for 10 years and they were still there when we
moved.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Sounds good to me, a wooden cover would absorb moisture and the
styrofoam would be much more inert.

On Mon, 1 Feb 2010 21:19:35 -0800, "david" wrote:

The humidity in the crawl space is high during rainy season (winter) here,
and I want to set up a dehumidifier. This means I need to close the crawl
space vents temporarily. In the summer I won't need the dehumidifier and the
vents would have to be opened again.

What's a good way to close the vents that is easy to re-open? I prefer being
able to open and close them from the outside so I don't have to crawl into
the crawl space.

Some of my house vents are "sunken" similar to this pic (not my house, just
using it for convenience). Actually mine is sunken even deeper.

http://www.pugetsoundhomeinspections...143554_std.jpg

I search the web and found only one closable crawl space vent. Is there

That's very intersting. Our ranch house built between 1950 and 54 in
Indianpolis had them. I think they were cast aluminum, or maybe iron.
There were vertical slots and a handle on the outside that only had to
move 3/4 inch sideways to close all the slots. We opened or closed
them every spring and fall.

Painted outdoor plywood wouldn't soak up much humidity and if one ever
rotted in 20 or 30 years, you could make a new one. But I guess his
endorsement of styrofoam is very good.

That's styrofoam itself, right Eric? Not the newer stuff that is made
with some sort of little balls squeezed together, that breaks so
easily. I have a winter cover for my hose bib that is made of that
stuff, and the other one broke.

something I can pick up at a local hardware store?

http://www.iaqsource.com/product.php...product=174938

On Feb 3, 12:30*am, mm wrote:
On Mon, 1 Feb 2010 21:19:35 -0800, "david" wrote:
The humidity in the crawl space is high during rainy season (winter) here,
and I want to set up a dehumidifier. This means I need to close the crawl
space vents temporarily. In the summer I won't need the dehumidifier and the
vents would have to be opened again.

What's a good way to close the vents that is easy to re-open? I prefer being
able to open and close them from the outside so I don't have to crawl into
the crawl space.

Some of my house vents are "sunken" similar to this pic (not my house, just
using it for convenience). Actually mine is sunken even deeper.

http://www.pugetsoundhomeinspections...in/assets/imag...

I search the web and found only one closable crawl space vent. Is there

That's very intersting. Our ranch house built between 1950 and 54 in
Indianpolis had them. *I think they were cast aluminum, or maybe iron.
There were vertical slots and a handle on the outside that only had to
move 3/4 inch sideways to close all the slots. *We opened or closed
them every spring and fall.

Painted outdoor plywood wouldn't soak up much humidity and if one ever
rotted in 20 or 30 years, you could make a new one. *But I guess his
endorsement of styrofoam is very good. *

That's styrofoam itself, right Eric? *Not the newer stuff that is made
with some sort of little balls squeezed together, that breaks so
easily. *I have a winter cover for my hose bib that is made of that
stuff, and the other one broke.

something I can pick up at a local hardware store?

http://www.iaqsource.com/product.php...product=174938

My material was left over drop in ceiling 2' X 4" tiles. It was high
density, & had a pattern pressed into it making it even tighter. There
are high density 4' X 8' sheets that would do as well. The only
problem I ever had was the neighbors grandchildren taking them off and
playing with them. A scolding solved that, but I had to make a couple
of replacements. My vents were concrete and had a stud in the middle
for an accessory cover. That held them on nicely even though it didn't
protrude enough to put a nut on it.
On my present house they were wood, and very hand made. I found some
plastic ones with thermal activated louvers at a habitat store, and am
changing them out as I rebuild the walls in hardie-board. I'm not sure
just how effective the thermal part is, but they look a lot better.