You should not underestimate the significance of the crawl space that is located beneath your house. Your house is constructed out of breathable materials such as wood, concrete, and fiberglass insulation. Additionally, the air that is circulated throughout your home by your HVAC system initially comes from your crawl space. Issues that exist in your crawl space may make their way into your home. If anyone in your house is dealing with a respiratory condition, this is an especially difficult situation for them. Porous materials have additional benefits in addition to allowing air to circulate through them. In addition to this, they let moisture into your crawl space.
What are the repercussions of failing to install a vapor barrier?
In the summer, when there is no poly under the drywall, water vapor hits the drywall and diffuses through it until it reaches the dryer part of the room. If you install a sheet of poly there, you will stop that drying mechanism from working, which means that any water that makes its way into the walls will remain there for a longer period of time and cause more damage.
Can I install a vapor barrier myself?
The installation of a vapor barrier is a project that the majority of homeowners can complete on their own, provided they do not suffer from claustrophobia. To ensure that you purchase the correct amount of liner, it is necessary for you to first determine the square footage of your crawl space.
Should the vapor barrier be opaque or see-through?
In comparison to the clear barrier, the black barrier is significantly more effective at preventing the evaporation of moisture. Because of its dark color, the crawl space beneath a house acts as a barrier to the growth of any plant seeds that might be there. The natural process by which plants release moisture into the atmosphere results in the creation of additional moisture.
What kind of damage does vapor cause to your crawlspace?
Damage to the foundation, rot in the wooden flooring structure, deterioration of the aesthetic value, and inadequate air quality inside the building
How does one go about putting a vapor barrier in place in a crawlspace?
You need to make sure that your outside drains are done correctly so that water can move and drain out as needed without leaking into the crawl space. This will prevent any damage to the structure. After you have finished organizing the drains, you will need to make sure that the ground in your crawl space has been thoroughly cleaned. You need to move everything that's in the way out of the way, and this is especially important if there are any sharp objects that are stuck in the dirt. If this is the case, you might want to consider using crawl space vapor barriers with a thickness of 20 mils for coverage. It's possible that the floor of the crawl space is smooth; if so, you might be able to get away with using a barrier that's only 12 mils thick. When you are laying the barrier down on the floor, there is one essential detail that you must not forget: you have to make sure that all of the seams are overlapped. It is strongly suggested that you always make use of insulation in your crawl space, particularly for the walls of the foundation. After the crawl space has been sealed off, the last step is to condition the air there. The installation of dehumidifiers in crawl spaces is by far the most common method for achieving this goal, although there are many other options available.
