Crawlspace Projects

[dover1261]

We just moved into our new home in southern MA, a one-floor ranch built in 1947 with a dirt floor crawlspace. We get a lot of moisture, and I’m in the process of re-seating the sump pump and making sure the runoff from the gutters is sufficiently channelled away from the foundation.

I’m planning to insulate the sill and joists in the crawlspace as well as lay 6 mil plastic on the floor. I’d like to lay the plastic down first (since it’s cheaper and quicker to install), and insulate over the next few weekends, but should I do it in reverse order, to save wear and tear on the plastic when I’m insulating? I just don’t want to get in the situation where the insulating stretches out longer than I expected (I figure the sooner the better on controlling the moisture problem).

I’m new to a lot of the stuff discussed in these pages, having rented for years, so any help would be greatly appreciated!

JM (dover1261)

[Tim]

This would fall under the “any help” catagory, but here it is… I have always thought that it is crucial to have air flow in a crawl space. If you do have vents to the outside, good. If not,you may want to post another message to see if anyone concurs. If the ground is soft dirt, I would put the plasic down first. 6 mil poly is pretty tough, and you won’t get nearly as messy with it there. I wouldn’t be too concerned, however, about any moisture that the insulation was exposed to until you put the plastic down if you decide to cover the ground last. The insulation breathes, and it will dry out nicely when the project is complete, again provided there is proper air flow.

[Author]

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