Plastic sheeting in crawlspace.

[Unregistered-Pam]

Hi.

A couple of years ago I wrote on this forum regarding having plastic sheeting laid on the ground in my crawlspace (the contractor was also adding insulation to the crawlspace). My crawlspace is directly below the family room of my home. The rest of the home is above basement. When the contractor made a small door in my basement wall to access the crawlspace we were surprised that other than some construction debris, the space had no smell of mold, dampness, etc. It was bone dry even with just one vent. They added the insulation and plastic sheeting, but I didn’t have them add another vent because the space was so dry. Here’s my question. Ever since they added the plastic, the room smells mildewy and damp. I wonder if I should remove the sheeting and why do you suppose this is the case when everyone I’ve talked to, including on this board, said that plastic sheeting is recommended?

Thanks so much for your help.

Pam

[homebild]

The problem at this point is not the sheeting but the ventilation.

If the crawlspace is open to the basement at any place, you actually should have no vents open to the outside.

Or if the crawlspace is not open to the basement, the vents should remain closed in summer when surface temperatures in the cool crawlspace can allow warmer outside air to condense.

Your issues now aren’t related to the insulation or sheeting. They are related to the ventilation.

[Author]

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