Steps to Installing a Vapor Barrier in Your Crawl Space Installing a vapor barrier is not a difficult or expensive task, but it can be strenuous since you will likely spend much time crawling on your hands and knees in cramped spaces. While doing this job alone is possible, having at least...
Housewraps are moisture barriers, or water barriers, or rain barriers because they keep actual drops of water out of the building wall cavity, but they do not trap the much-smaller individual molecules of water H2O - water vapor. Housewrap is a moisture barrier that also serves as an air...
Crawl spaces are areas under a house that are used for storage or to allow access to the pipes that run under the house. Most crawl spaces are unfinished, with just dirt or concrete on the ground, and they can grow humid or flood at times. To combat the humidity in a crawl space, y...
it is possible to measure with precision how much air is entering the house through all the various "unintended" cracks, gaps, and holes in the exterior envelope. Using devices called smoke pencils, technicians can pinpoint areas where air is entering the house while the blower door is in op...
Crawl Space Learning Center High relative humidity cause condensation to form over everything in the crawlspace. Fungus grows on floor joists, and rot begins. When the relative humidity reaches 100%, the air is holding as much moisture as it possibly can at its current temperature. ...
Building science labs are still testing various configurations and attachment systems. The photo below shows a test of long screws through two layers of 2 inch thick rigid foam 8 feet high. Hanging from the bottom of each is a bucket of rocks. A deflection gauge measures how much the weight...
First use heat and dry air to dry out the wood as much as possible. In some cases, you may be able to scrub off the mold with water and dish detergent. If you need something more, you can try a nonacidic solution containing washing soda or trisodium phosphate (8 to 10 tablespoons in...
In a warm climate, the vapor barrier should face downward toward the crawl space (if there is one) to prevent any moisture there entering the insulation. Windows. Consider installing double-glazed windows, window film insulation and weatherstripping around windows and doors in order to stop heat...
Crawl spaces often have several reasons for excess moisture. Our crawl space was no exception. The floor of the space was very close to the existing water level, we have no rain gutters on our cabin, and much of the yard slopes improperly toward the home. All of these issues need attenti...
Like I said, we have put the foam rafter vents in the entire length from the big peak beam to soffit. I just don't know how much to stuff in that space. Fill it up with scrap? If so, does it matter what direction the scrap goes in? I would think the gap needs to be filled,...