Crawl Space Conditioning

[DooDoo1402]

This is why I love these forums! Every time I need to hire someone to work at my house, I come here to ask for recommendations and I must say, I have never been disappointed with the outcomes. I really appreciate the advice!

Well, you had my curiosity and I done a search. I agree, you either participated in threads or began one about service and company. Unfortunately I don't hold the same belief... because everyone has their opinions and I hardly see real facts on here; whether it is good or bad. Sorry, I am not going to hire a service company based upon a few bozo strangers likable opinion or the workers have tattoos...

It's just too closely related to the Mexican food connoisseur's we have running around here. Have you read those funny threads? Some jokers on here were stating certain Mexican restaurants around here aren't "REAL" Mexican food. I'd love to have the power to ship their a@@ to downtown Chihuahua, Mexico... and see what happens when they enjoy their real Mexican food as they bite into a taco or enchilada that was hand-made in a dusty, dirty, bug and rodent infested kitchen, laced with chili peppers to nauseate anyone and bark sparks when you sit on the hopper. Yeah, they know real Mexican.... Thanks for letting me rant!

And no, I don't care that England has a Royal Baby! lol.

 

[nutz]

Thank you, a thousand times over, to all of you who have given advice and guidance in this thread. Here is what I still don't understand: in my research this weekend, I have learned that most people around here, when building a house with a crawl space, cover the floor with plastic (possibly gravel too), install vents, maybe with a fan, and put fiberglass insulation around the floor joists. I assume this must be a decent solution, or people wouldn't build new houses this way. On the other hand, most companies (as advertised online) seem to recommend encapsulation, probably with a dehumidifier. Though I don't have actual estimates yet, it seems like encapsulation must be a much more involved and expensive project. Are the results really that much better? Or are these companies just trying to sell the Cadillac when the Ford would serve just as well? I am going to have a few companies, based on your recommendations, come out to take a look at my crawl space, but it is always nice to understand the difference between reality and la la land before the sales people roll on through. Next thing I will want to encapsulate my whole house! Thanks again!

Also - in case I didn't specify along the way, my crawl space currently has a dirt floor. Covering it with anything would be an upgrade!

Something that almost slipped my mind, perimeter drainage. Make sure that the ground slopes away from the foundation in all directions and that the gutters/downspouts aren't allowing water into the crawlspace.

Radon is something not really prevalent in our area, test before doing any equipment purchasing.
State Radon Contacts: Maryland | Radon | US Environmental Protection Agency

 

[birdman]

I put a RADON rough-in in my crawlspace before I got it encapsulated. Just bought a tester and ran a 3 month test, RADON levels are OK, so the rough-in just stays there unused.

As far as everyone building their homes with insluation between the joists and vented walls, I think that is because "that's they way they've always done it." Doesn't make it right though. THere are federally funded papers that talk about why it is a bad idea and doesn't work well in certain climates (like ours). But to give you real world experience, our crawlspace was moldy and damp but with no standing water. Every time the A/C kicked on it smelled like mold coming from the vents. After the encapsulation, no mold and no smell. Also, by insulating the walls and removing the insulation between the joists, our energy bill has gone down. I was afraid it might go up but it was a nice surprise.