I was a home inspector for 5 years in Georgia... Heard a story from an old-timer that actually found a human skeleton in a crawl space. He had to leave immediately and called the police... Turns out they buried grandma in the crawl space because they couldn't afford a funeral. Thanks for the video... I appreciate the info and totally agree that crawl space should be conditioned spaces.
A husband murdered his step son and buried him in the crawl. The new owner's wife went down to check something and found shoes poking up. She tried to grab them but couldn't. Husband checked and discovered femurs, so cops were called.
If you have a vented crawlspace and want to convert it, what is the best way? Vapor barrier the ground (I have concrete) and close cell foam the walls?
Not a builder, just a homeowner. I had just changed my dehumidifier filter in my crawlspace when I came back up to you having posted this video. I’d been worried about it for a while, and this video was the straw that broke the camel’s back and got me moving. We had most of the problems you talked about. We found a company that encapsulates existing crawl spaces in our area. They just finished today. Not the most sexy space to spend money in the house, but I feel much happier about the sealed, drained, encapsulated area under the house now.
Same thing I was thinking, when you got money then things will be done by the most expensive professionals. I've been to enough third world countries were I've seen people live in those nasty crawl space conditions and call it home.
The whole point of the channel is for best building practices, though, not just the most cost effective. You can take these principles and make your own compromises based on your own budget.
I'm an engineer by degree and an industrial project manager by profession, and have been eager to get into home construction for awhile. As a segue into the field, I purchased an 1920's home a year ago and have been renovating it solo with immense study of codes and best practice, a lot of which comes from Matt's video's. It really makes me wish my early years were spent training under someone like Matt who clearly knows plenty of the tried and true methods, but is happy to entertain the up and coming technologies as well. I love the videos and appreciate the time put into making them - this is an excellent channel!
I spent over 25 hours in my crawl after watching this the first time. Went from vented with roll bat underbelly, no sump and exterior access to sealed, conditioned, rigid foam perimeter, interior access and a sealed sump pit at each end. Watching again because noone else cares but us
I am The same as you… and a 49 year lady who uses a walker and wheelchair. I cannot afford to hire anyone and and I care about my home, my mortgage makes me be able to afford a decent but modest place to live. There are wires all over the ground and that frightens me- the ductwork and plumbing are nicely hung/ supported… but past workers left old materials scattered, it went and moist.. a couple of 12inx12 in (6 in depth) shoveled? Areas… that have little pools of water.. the rest is just damp and thick muddy by the back side of the house brick foundation line. I am overwhelmed and not sure where to begin. Cleaning for sure. Checking for any dangerous wiring, I have installed a French drain in my front yard and am thinking I should put one in along the back of the home. Alternatively, my home slopes downward, so perhaps a vapor barrier and concrete poured over. Being disabled and on a fixed income is not ideal right about now! 😂
Yes I can take some photos it’s raining today so I was going to do a little bit of investigation depending on how hard it rains I was under there yesterday and did find a couple of skeletal remains luckily not human but I’ll joking aside last time I was down there I was electrocuted by a live wire which we had an electrician come out and cap off. I now know that I need to turn off the main breaker and clean the wire mess up I think mostly as a lot of cable wire that’s just been cut through the years and satellite dish wiring at Cetera. Anyway I will see if I can get down far enough today I’m a little achy due to the rain on top of my normal issues but if not I have a window that was busted out that I built a frame and put in a pane of glass and I’m insulating the glass and getting ready to put that into the brick area that contains the metal frame for the window that is actually embedded into the construction so I am also adding a layer of foam insulation board to the back of it and installing the window in front of it. But I will not install the insulation board until I finish working because until I permanently install the window that I built and then caulk it in etc. I can take it out for work purposes and ventilation. I can actually crawl through the little holes that divide up the old window that had acrylic in it if I really wanted to which I don’t but since I can crawl through it means that I can also lean through to take pictures and at least zoom in so you can get an idea even if they’re not the best quality. One question that I do have is that I want to replace the insulation because it is just hanging down probably from aids and rodents or other critters in some places the wooden floor joists and the wood flooring are still sound I have already checked. This past winter we did actually have a Water main break and the city just left it for a week because they said that the man who needed to cut the concrete was on vacation mind you they only needed to cut 2 ft.² but anyway it flooded our yard which I trench to my French drain which I had already installed and then hi later had to go back and trench from the backyard where the French drain lets out which is actually the side yard and it’s past the house of course I had to trench down to the woods behind our house and we live on 3/4 acre so it was a very tedious long job. I re-graded the front yard when I had to repair all of the trenching that I had to do to save my crawlspace because it was so very flooded but the area most affected is the area that I didn’t have to trench and so I actually was able to quickly add soil and build up the front side yesterday in the area that is most affected. I totally went on a bunny trail there but anyway insulation so I want to tear down the old road yucky insulation and I’m thinking insulation board. Opinions? By the way I apologize for the run-on‘s and grammar issues but I have nerve damage and can’t feel my hands although they are functional but typing on my iPad is really creepy so I speak and it turns into a book unfortunately and it turns into conversational writing::: so I just wanted to explain I’m not just being a flake. Lol
Its crazy. My folks had their double wide installed back in 85' I think. Wayy before people were really worried about leaving them up high enough to actually crawl and not shimmy under the house.
You didn't mention anything about air movement in a sealed or conditioned crawl space. I do believe a sealed crawl space is the way to go, I have completely sealed my crawl space and it is fantastic, (no shoes in my crawl space, Lol), but also it is now part of the air of the entire house, so part of the heating and cooling system. without air movement you can have moisture build up? Yes? or adding a dehumidifier in the crawl space to regulate the humidity. Love your input, Thanks for the video.
Thank you Matt! We bought a fixer upper and the first thing we did was spray open cell in the attic, 2nd thing we did encapsulate the crawl spaces, We have yet to insulate the spaces, still researching the most economical way to do it right i.e. closed cell vs. XPS with spray foam gaps, remodels can get out of hand cost wise, and we aren't sure if we want to invest in quality and stay here or do it well and sell, so much of what we do is determined by the market and our jobs. Thanks Matt for everything you are doing especially recently.
Good video Matt. I did a retro system on my old house in Northern Idaho a few years ago. Took a wet, dank, dirty, smelly crawlspace and added a powered vent system underneath a white vapor barrier that turned the space into a magical place. It improved air quality in the home dramatically. When I sold the house, the buyers inspector arrived to look things over. He asked where the crawl space access was and I showed him. I had installed lights under there as well. It gleamed like a diamond in the sky and he literally said, "Oh I love you!" He was so happy to find that space clean, neat, tidy, and dry. I think I spent less than $500 for the entire project including the power vent system (radon gas was high and that was main priority for powered vent system).
OffGridBear I’m impressed with your retro system work, would it be possible to get additional information especially about your power vent system? My email:3jshvac@gmail.com. Thanks!
It's pretty easy. I purchased a Fantech 4" vent fan, don't remember exact model. My house outside footprint was 24x42 so I just purchased a 12 or 20 mil (can't remember) radon/moisture membrane online. It was 25x50 which fit my situation perfectly. It allowed me to bring it up the wall about 18 inches on every side where it was attached with a drill and plastic fasteners to the block wall, then that was overlayed at the edge with special tape to seal it all up. before installing the barrier I placed perforated drain pipe (just laying on the dirt) down the long axis of the center of the crawlspace. Over that I placed some of that green erosion control poly blanket stuff you see along highways after construction. It was the cheapest air gap I could find. I think I got enough to do the entire space for $40 on Craigslist. Then the vapor barrier went over that. My barrier was black on one side with a mesh sandwiched between the white layer on the other side. I installed it white side up. The perforated pipe attached with a rubber boot to standard 4" PVC pipe that was sealed before it exited through a hole I made in the wood part of wall and then went up the side of the house to the vent fan. I had an outdoor electric plug on that side of house and I just tapped into that circuit for wiring. It was really pretty easy. I actually lived off-grid at the time so I put a switch on that fan that allowed me to turn it off if needed. It didn't draw very much power at all though and was left running all the time. If I was to do it over I would dig out a little channel for the pipe to drop into so there wasn't a hump in the middle of the floor. I'd also have placed 2" foam insulation boards down on the ground before putting in the pipe, air gap, and barrier. I was thinking only about moisture/gas control and not about creating a crawlspace that was part of the heating/cooling space and it would have made the house a lot warmer in the winter I think if I'd done a full insulation down there. Otherwise I was very happy with how it did vapor/gas/moisture control.
I have in an old one story stone house (2 foot thick stone walls) with a 2 foot(max) crawl space. Water under there rooted the entire wood joist floor. The only utility under there is a propane line running from the man door to a wall furnace. It' in the midwest with both COLD winter and HOT summers. Should I condition that space and put new wood floor OR fill it and pour a concrete slab? Which is cheaper? Which is better?
Crawl spaces are big here in Canada(Manitoba anyways) mostly ICF with ridged foam 4x8 around the perimeter. Poly inside with sand or pea stone on top and sump pit with weeping tile all around. Works great for the furnace , hrv , ducting, plumbing, electrical ran easy, hwt , jet pump, etc.
I am The same as you… and a 49 year lady who uses a walker and wheelchair. I cannot afford to hire anyone and and I care about my home, my mortgage makes me be able to afford a decent but modest place to live. There are wires all over the ground and that frightens me- the ductwork and plumbing are nicely hung/ supported… but past workers left old materials scattered, it went and moist.. a couple of 12inx12 in (6 in depth) shoveled? Areas… that have little pools of water.. the rest is just damp and thick muddy by the back side of the house brick foundation line. I am overwhelmed and not sure where to begin. Cleaning for sure. Checking for any dangerous wiring, I have installed a French drain in my front yard and am thinking I should put one in along the back of the home. Alternatively, my home slopes downward, so perhaps a vapor barrier and concrete poured over. Being disabled and on a fixed income is not ideal right about now! 😂
I was going to ask Matt about the foam and or the insulation board covering the top of the wall preventing termite inspections but after looking down through the comments it's apparent he doesn't answer any comments. I'm sure he's busy.
I know a few places where I live on Vancouver Island that have a heated slab on grade with 2 heat pumps. One for the heated floor and the other for forced air up stairs. It could also be a geothermal system run on solar power. On top of that, you can have a heated driveway, so you don't have to shovel snow. That would be handy if you had a steep driveway and you need to "get going".
I have a crawlspace 2000sqft built 12yrs ago. The walls are 8inch x 4ft poured on a 2ft x 6inch footer. I am in the middle of retrofitting it now. I sanded and sealed the whole underneath and floor joists. I installed a sump pit in case of an emergency line leak. The crawl floor has plastic then 4inches of pea gravel. When it rains alot water will seep a little around the edge on top of the footer. I have used hydraulic cement to slow it down but still not 100% so I need to fix that before I encapsulate. The vents I have been opening when it's under 45% humidity. I am going to install little windows in front of my vents as a easy way to vent or seal.
Don't forget Radon! If in a high radon zone, do some research or bring in a radon professional when building crawlspaces. The better and tighter you build a house the worse radon concentration can be within the home. At this stage with a membrane or slab installed you can get a complete radon system for around $500-$1000. Additionally, it is much easier to lay that membrane with taping during initial construction. You can also plan to install piping through the house up to the attic area which eliminates uglier exterior radon systems. Talk to the homeowner and discuss getting a radon professional in to evaluate your situation.
Hmmm, a radon company shilling for radon control. Radon is literally a non issue. But you have shilled so hard that pretty much anyone buying a house gets a radon test and freaks out now.
One thing I would really like to hear more about is how to deal with up-gassing requirements. I get the theory of 'seal everything and condition the crawl space' but many municipalities will not allow you to fully seal a vented crawl space under the argument of up-gassing. How can these concepts be put into practice?
Shoot, those are ALL good crawl spaces. We just bought a house in Florida and the hallway walls (where the heat and air exchanger is in a closet) have 2" gap at the top. It was a shotgun house, built in 1949 and bedrooms and bathroom were added and a 90 degree long section of house was added (so now the house is "L" shaped). The house has cement block at the perimeter and short floor joists, wit support beams unt them The house has crawl space vents, but is less than 12"'; tall, so no way to going in that way. I had to actually cut holes in the floor to get down there but it doesn't matter (and I doubt anyone will believe this, so I'll get pics out soon). Apparently, they filled in the crawl space with dirt and poured some thin concrete pads and then put bricks on that and then built the floor. Well, some years later they decided to put gas pipes in, so they dug out trenches where the pipes ran and that weakened some pilons. Then some more years later a water leak inside the house damaged the top of the floor joist beams and the floor joist themselves sunk into the beams. I was told I need to jack up each floor joist and put supports under them, to eliminate the water damaged main support beam. I consider that to be the all time WORST CRAWL SPACE.
I built my crawl space with Amvic foam blocks, then used spray foam in the joist bays which is code here in northwest Montana, then I put in a radon system and filled in with 3/4 wash. Black plastic over that and seal it, it has worked perfectly. No mold, conditioned space that stays 64 degrees all year round. Only thing I would have done differently is I would have liked to have a concrete slab instead.
Matt/BuildShow team, recommend that you add a note about possible need for radon mitigation along with crawl space encapsulation perhaps with a link to some of your content on that topic. After watching this video (several times) I encapsulated my crawl space and later discovered that in doing so I created a radon issue. Thanks
Unless your site is rock, or the budget is tight, what is the rationale for only building a half-basement rather than a full one? For only a few percent extra on the cost of the build you double your floorspace (for a single story home) wheile building a half-basement you seem to incur a lot of the same costs but don't get nearly as much utility out of it.
Trying to figure that out myself. Ive got a 4 ft high half basement here in CT. I guess if they made it 7 ft that would either mean a couple extra steps to the front door or they would have to dig out the extra 3 ft and maybe hit water? I don’t know but if not then it just seems foolish to build this way.
I despise any space that is below ground level. Ground water is a constant concern, and expensive to control. I much rather have a crawlspace built on a slab.
I live on ground that was once a glacial flood plain and the ground is mostly clay. I frequently see water lying on the surface of the ground up to 4-6 inches deep in the Spring or in heavy rain during the summer or Fall. I have 3 building on a slab that is threatened by the rising water. I have one building on a crawl. I've seen every kind of problem possible in the crawl space, leaky pipes, animals that get in through the venting hanging wires, sweating copper pipes. I would like to be able to have access to the mechanical equipment and avoid that belly crawling disaster under the house. I think I have to start over and rebuild all properties slightly above grade and put a retention pond somewhere on the property.
It would be good if you had video showing exactly how you do it especially with the vapor barrier because I’m wondering do you have a concrete slab or do you have stone under the vapor barrier
Closed Cell foam insulation is extremely sensitive to moisture - during installation. You can't just go down in your crawl space and start spraying foam everywhere, all surfaces that are going to be sprayed have to be dry otherwise you're not going to get long lasting adhesion
At the 8:00-minute mark, when Matt is talking about the drainage board/dimple mat/filter fabric; is he referring to one item? Are the drainage board and dimple mat products such as DamPro XL? Trying to educate myself.
Great video, question, if you have a open crawl space, cabin is on posts (2 feet height) with open sides, how many inches of CLOSED CELL spray foam do you need between your floor joist to form a moisture barrier? Thank you in advance.
English is not my first language and i'm not really familiar with the right terms but please correct me. Ductwork sounds stupid to me but we use here what we call "forced ventilation" which means you just only have holes in your walls and nothing else. The more holes u have the merrier and the air can move around.
What would you do for a house on beam (12-18' high) as far as insulating the floor? This is in southern MS on the water (Bay St Louis). I would think close cell foam. But I have seen where people are recommending no insulation at all since there isn't much thermal gain from heat underneath. I would think sealing the air in would be beneficial with foam or even zip floor sheathing. What are you r thoughts?
the one good thing about my vented crawlspace, and i mean the only good thing, is it seems to get a lot of cross wind to where im not too worried about moisture.
I’m in northern California. I bought a home that was built in 1927 with a 18” crawl. There is no duct work as we used ductless mini splits. We also used pex piping for water. We did fiberglass insulate with the vapor barrier toward the subfloor. When in the crawl it was so dry it felt like concrete! So here’s my question... recently it rained and this home never had gutters prior to our remodel and now I smell musty air from time to time - assuming it’s coming up from the crawl - should I still seal the crawl or just redirect downspouts? Our humidity is below 70% most of the year. And our climate is typically 40-90 degrees most of the year. I currently have vents, but no fan - the access to the crawl is also basically a huge vent too- with lattice over it.... what solutions would you propose? The internet is full of salesman and really contradictory- help! I was to be safe and keep my family healthy!
Cost is why people build bad crawl spaces and not conditioned ones or basements. I'm looking to build a crawlspace, but I live in California and cost is a big problem here. Looking for ways to solve bad crawlspace foundations without breaking the bank.
I’ve seen both and now I’m confused to which it should be. Should I put my vapor barrier on top of my rigid insulation on the walls or behind?? I’d be kind of concerned of putting the rigid insulation behind the vapor barrier because I don’t want soil vapor to have access to the rigid insulation and eventually keep wicking up through even though it’s high density XPS and so won’t absorb much I just don’t want it to be able to absorb any
The code here requires the insulation and seal to stop six inches below the sill plate for termite inspection. It seems like that would be a problem with a conditioned crawlspace. I'd love to do this though. Vents are a joke.
I'm wondering about that foam...interior insulation like that, especially closed cell, will force vapor from the outside up the cement directly into your sill plate. How's that house holding up?
I just discovered this excellent video. I recently purchased a home close to Tokyo, and I'm preparing to start remodeling. The crawl space appears to be rather tidy. The only thing on the ground is dirt, and the wind goes through the floor. I'm going to cover the ground with a waterproof vapor sheet then put rocks on top. I would like to apply spray foam on the floor's underside, but I can't seem to get it in Japan (they may sell it, I've simply not seen it). I was going to attempt the foam block insulation that they sell. There is a lot of moisture in the area because it is near the water. everything molds easily. Should I consider that as I insulate the crawlspace area?
Hi Matt, I've been learning a lot from your videos. In a crawlspace retrofit situation (Northern California, vented space, high winter ground water can make the space damp)...when using spray foam isn't condensation on the joists a concern since the top of the joist might be warm while the bottom would be cold? Would it not be preferable to spray foam the underdeck and entirely around the joists? Separate from insulation, putting in ground encapsulation, part of our area is "rat proofed" with uneven concrete splashed around. It is rough enough that would likely tear the plastic sheeting when repairs are needed to plumbing or electrical. Is there some sort of waterproof pad that can be placed between the "rat proofing" and the plastic sheathing to prevent the sheeting from tearing? Complicating this, that section of the crawlspace is sloped so adding something like sand would likely not work. Finally, any comments on using active ventilation to place the crawlspace in slight negative pressure? Thanks in advance for any ideas/suggestions!
Matt, I know this video is couple years old now but I'm hoping you still answer questions on it. My question is this....if I condition my crawl space with either rigid foam polyiso on block wall & spray foam the under deck/ floor joists, do I still need to wrap/insulate the HVAC ducting? I'm thinking it would be unnecessary if the space becomes conditioned but in this video, it looked like your buddy Todd, had wrapped ductwork even with the conditioned crawl space. Thanks for all your helpful videos.
You still want to insulate your ducts. Code required even in conditioned spaces. Think about AC mode. Your AC pumps out 55deg air and that space could be hot and humid leading to condensation and dripping.
@@buildshow thanks Matt. Big fan of your vids. I'm a DIY'er currently finishing my basement. You're an awesome teacher. I've learned a lot from you. Thanks for your time in answering my question. I'm sure you're very busy. Take care.
That will cost a fortune. Is there a diy way to spray closed cell insulation in that quantity? Have a split level. It was leaking bad until I found previous owner had professional water proofing with sump pump under crawlspace and with rubber and gravel channel after I lived there for two and a half years. One cut of insulation has fell down and I want to take it all out and spray. I had the idea of spraying for a while but never seen anyone do it under floor. I’ve read that spray foam over time can shrink and leave gaps. Can you give me some advice? I try to do what I can because I keep seeing so many contractors do things wrong as with my neighbor who has had to call one back twice for problems, not coming back to do the job, etc.
Very informative. Thank you. I have a nice conditioned crawl space, but I'd like to put some kind of coating on the concrete floor (it is chalky and I track grit back into the house after I go down there). Do you have any recommendations?
Great video. We have an old brick home in Denver CO and are remodeling our half basement. the crawl space is sealed and i guess could be called a short basement (3.5 feet high). does anyone have any ideas how to insulate it or should we? thanks
With all the variables with weather in different states is a concern, what if I wanted a storm shelter or maybe a root cellar /underground cellar in that conditioned crawlspace, and the stairway leading to it, how can it be done or have you seen one?
My only question is How do you keep your floor from being loud? Seems like if there’s insulation in the joist bays it muffles some of the echo when you walk, any suggestions or info on that?
Hi Matt, Thanks for the videos, I love your show! Couple Quick question, you said I can use closed cell foam to retrofit my old house, so do i need medium density or high density foam? Do I want to close up the vents too, even though I am not going to put the plastic everywhere and just spray the foam?
my father was a framer in texas, he said in the 80s anyone building a house on a slab in texas is a fool.. You're on clay, texas gets some of the worst storms ever and he predicted houston will flood badly in the future.. It did too..... Anywhere you live if its flat, build it at least six feet up unless you dont mind flooding, and no it doesnt always flood but there is a very good chance it will someday.. just an ounce of prevention... if the crawl space is large enough to maneuver around easily then thats just bonus area for storage like bikes etc....
I'm buying a prefab cabin that I would like to set on top of a crawl space. I'm using a mini split for air and heat so I don't need duct work. My main reason for the crawl space is for plunking and I would like to put my well down there. Could you point me in the right direction to build the most proficient and inexpensive crawlspace I can get away with. It Will only be a 20x16 cabin and I live in Michigan. Would appreciate any help you can give me. Thanks
If you seal up the crawl space with a CleanSpace product on the ground and partway up the foundation and then closed cell foam on the foundation and in the outside band of the floor framing which means that the crawl space is sealed should there be positive air flow into the space from the AC/HVAC unit?
I've gone into many crawl spaces working as a telecom tech. Yes, it is nasty. I've run across dead animals and even a live German Shepard! One of my co-workers was attacked by fleas and had to be treated at a hospital!
yeah but when it comes to repair cost. slabs in texas are around 8k to 25k to fix foundation issues. crawl space is around 180 to fix a pier and beam per pier. plus if you have a water leak on slab I paid almost 8k for the concrete and new pipe. if it was pier and beam around 300 to 500. no concrete work. so if your looking for long term low repair cost spend the extra 4 or 5k to condition the crawl space.
I live in Fort Worth Texas. What website can I go to get a quote. We are building a new home and I just need a foundation conditioned crawl space for a 2400 Sq foot house (1800 sq foot down stair and 600 sq foot up stairs in the front of the house) do you know anyone around the area or do you work around here? I want to go with someone that knows pier and beam and alot of people I've talked to only want to do slab on grade and we are building for long term ownership so I don't mind spend more as long as in the long term I can keep cost to a minimum
12:21 Most people can't just spend the time and money...the vast majority of citizens in the united states are at or below the poverty line. I know you are not a billionaire (at least I'm assuming you aren't) but I am very confident that you are very well off, possibly even "rich". And you've worked hard, you've more than earned it. I've watched many of your videos, heard about your history, how you started, things you've done. You really seem to be a hard and well educated worker and one that takes pride in his work and doesn't settle for shortcuts. But there are countless others that work just as hard as you, but don't have the same payoff. Most people unfortunately can't spend the time and money. I'd love to completely remodel my house and make the attic conditioned space, do away with the craw space under the addon that was built in the 70s, replace the windows, have an engineered duct system that takes into consideration the dynamics of heat from people, computers, other machines, but it would all cost more than twice what the house is worth. I'd spend $200,000 easily, if not more. Even if it was only $100,000 though it's not feasible and even if it was $50,000 or $25,000 it still wouldn't be even close to feasible. I don't know...I'm kind of ranting I guess and it's not really relative to the video and the advice of "do it right" is solid advice...it's just frustrating not being able to. :(
Not to mention your better off putting money into a 401k, RothIRA, etc. to prepare for retirement rather than sinking all that money into a home which only keeps up with inflation.
Alberto2341 10k that's a great deal, someone had a similar problem, but this was caused by their own pluming system that got clogged up for Who knows how long, until a pipe bursted and started flooding the crawl space going all the way up through the floors in to the bedrooms, the quote they got was about $60 grand. Not a good situation.
Matt...Most of the crawlspaces that I've ever seen, were in coastal communities in mapped flood zones where basements in these areas were prohibited, yet built prior to base flood elevation (BFE) standards being incorporated in the building codes. In certain communities here in the northeast, FEMA had recently completed flood map revisions, which placed existing homes with basements in a special flood hazard area (SFHA)...Those homes have lost significant value as the flood insurance premiums are cost prohibitive for most. The best recommendation for those facing this dilemma, is to move all of the mechanical systems, and fill their basements in to surrounding grade. That in itself will significantly reduce the flood premium, but not completely solve their issue as the (new) lowest floor elevation may still be under the BFE for that area. Flood insurance rates increase exponentially once a determined (by an elevation certificate) lowest floor elevation drops below the surrounding grade on all sides. Many people would benefit from you posting a good tutorial on how to accomplish an affordable basement to a FEMA compliant crawlspace conversion.
Right, can't build no basements by the coast. Also when you are in the flood zone, not everyone want to build houses on piers as it will require to climb staircase, so you can see tons of older houses built on 2ft ventilated crawlspaces that currently are getting encapsulated by local contractors due to high humidity.
I used to have a really nasty crawl space under my house... That is until my street's sewer line backed up, and back pressure forced the entire street's sewage into it once it popped the main line off. I couldn't even get a plumber to go down there to repair the broken pipe until I had a restoration company come in, which is basically a hazmat team to clean up the mess. What they did in the process was basically totally modernize my crawlspace, installed a vapor barrier, put down clean fresh sand to replace all the contaminated debris they removed. The best part was because it was caused by a blockage in the city's lines, they footed the bill for the entire process. Almost 10k$ between the restoration and the plumbing bills, and now I've got a beautiful crawlspace that makes it a dream to get down in when working on plumbing and what not. I've never been so happy over a sewage backup before.
I just quit working with a plumber partially because of these issues. One house we were called to he boasted how he had done a main sewer line repair at the house but we had to go back to clear the drain again. What I found was that he had simply put in a cleanout just inside the access but when he ran the snake he broke the rest of the old 3 1/2 inch thin sewer. So, for years the sewer had drained into the very sloped crawlspace. The air was so bad possums had gone in and died from the gas. We had to pump out the sewage and then make the repair. Later the owner had to replace the rest of the drain all the way to the street. A large tree had put roots into the line. Crawlspace from hell. I get sick with just remembering.
This is all well and good, but of little help to those of us who own homes with bad crawl spaces. If I were to build new, it’d be a different story. As it is, I watch stuff like this and just get depressed
Mark, There are ways to make crawl spaces better. In MI, we often slide in I-beams and raise the house up and add block. I am going to build a new house on a crawl. It will be 4 blocks high, (32 inches) and after all underground is installed, I will pour a 3" slab. Firing strips will run across all joists at 2 ft. o.c., and install R-38. My furnace / a.c, and hot water on demand will be in the attic. All water supply will come from overhead. All will be heat taped, insulated, and set into the fiberglass R-38. I am retired, but jacking up houses here is very common practice. Many basements were 6-6 and 7' tall. They lift them and add block to make 8 ft. basements.
Looking at the same thing with my grandma's cheap old rental with a vented crawl space. The house isn't worth enough to upgrade the crawl space, so I think the best option is to seal the vents in the winter and open them in the summer.
I couldn't get past the first few minutes of whining about crawl spaces. Maybe cut back on the whining. Many people have crawl spaces because that's what they could afford. If you have some actual input about how to make an existing crawl space better, maybe get to the point.
As a plumber I do hate crawl spaces however after crawling and them for years they become like a plumber's home. And all I can say is there is a reason that commercial is usually done on slab and has concrete slab. However I want to add to this then when you have a concrete slab that you lay all your pipes in there's ever any major issues you got to start chopping up that concrete slab. The project gets a lot more expensive and a lot more extensive when you don't have a crawl space. So from a maintenance perspective crawl spaces are often really handy.
I have to say that It is refreshing to hear you admit to things that you "used" to do that no longer meet your standards. A great quality for those that are always looking for the best which is an evolving benchmark. I look forward to learning from you, kudos!
Yea, well, you don't live in California where basements are basically non-existent. The alternative is slab construction, which makes any kind of modification or remodel hell. I don't have sympathy for moisture issues. On any wooden house leaving any sort of moisture under the house is death for the house. You deal with moisture by finding the cause and GETTING RID OF IT. I have a standard to poor crawl space and I have to be down there a lot, and I HATE IT. But I did something about it, by getting rid of all the rocks and trash the builders left under the house and laying plastic on the ground, and by installing lighting.
The house I grew in had a crawl space. Just the dirt that the house sits on is the floor. It never got muddy under there. It actually looked better than the photos of the disasters in this video. The house is in the central valley of California.
Seems like no modern houses built in Southern California have basements for sure, but a fair number of old ones do. I've known several people in my area that have basements, but typically those houses are early 1900ish.
I unfortunately have water Ingress into my crawl space because of a very high water table. I have two sump pumps down there on the perimeter dumping it out. No matter what happens when it rains water will get in through the foundation. I have downspout extensions and my house is on a crown sloping the soil away from the house. I do have a vapor barrier but I pulled it back a foot from the foundation and dug a trench to the sump pumps. I keep the vents open in the summertime to have the air flow reduce the moisture. Not much I can do in the winter time. Not sure if a French drain would solve this or not. All of my neighbors have this issue. Wish there was a cheap or easy solution but it does not appear that there is one.
@@paulsallee4889 It sounds like your gutter and exterior drainage has already been addressed. There will always be some moisture intrusion. The easiest solution is to run a dehumidifier year-round, and keep it encapsulated. I keep a wet-vac in the crawl, but only use it for dust cleanup since I got the gutters all working.
Is it a good idea to hide my money in a crawl space, I’m planning on having a meltdown and start laughing when my wife says she gave our money to someone
I've been in a crawl space here in Scandinavia in a house that was build the year 1900. It was great. It was well ventilated and the ground drained well. No plastic to trap water, so very little rot or bad odours even after 100+ years. The entire house was just extremely well built and throughout.
I live on top solid limestone rock. If I would try to dig a halfway decent basement. It would probably cause me $100,000 in excavator fees along with hammer attached. Personally I think code should require you to install neting under a house to provide insulation from falling down.
You forgot to mention underpressure. That's how we do them in Sweden nowadays. Basically the blowout fan is in the crawlspace and the intake vents are in the house. That creates an underpressure which makes sure that the air from the crawlspace doesn't go up into the house
I don't build, but Matt's videos help me think about the kind of home I want to live in, especially if we hire someone to build us a home rather than buy a pre-owned home.
Dosadoodle - I’m in the process of tearing down my 100+ year old home here in SW Florida (it’s so grossly inefficient and while 4k+ sqft uses space terribly) and building a new one. These videos have been a goldmine for me as I’d never thought about these things until now. One interesting bit, I’m going with a company that takes my blueprints and builds the house shell in ~65 pieces out of a sandwich of concrete board and 8” of closed-cell foam... it looks and builds just like a normal house except it’s airtight with the windows in less than a week !! Not to mention the Herr (I think? The insulation score) score of 50 with the triple glazed hurricane proof windows... with the Tesla SolarRoof and PowerWalls (and a bunch of other whizbang renewable tech) I’ll never repeat the 11 days without power we suffered after Hurricane Irma !!
Moisture/vapor condenses on the warm side of an insulated partition. Closed cell on the floor of a south crawl space that also has cold winters, such as zone 4, Tennessee, South and North Carolina and many miles north or south of there can cause condensation above the insulation. Be sure you take these comments with a very specific knowledge of your local conditions.
I'm in Dallas and I'm about to replace all of the beams under my house because of wood rot. The sub floor is fine, but the prior owner did a closed cell foam under the floor, sealing in any moisture that migrated down from the living space. Anyone ever spill a glass of water? If so, now you have moisture that will get stuck on top of the closed foam, and rot it. This is why my beams failed, but the plywood decking did not.
As an HVAC/plumbing tech I would kill for crawl spaces like these. Here in Oklahoma most of the houses are 60+ years old, no vapor barrier on most houses and your lucky if you have room to crawl after 60 years of settling.
You and your friends work looks phenomenal.👍 I love the indoor access to the crawl space. I hate going in mine it’s nasty, especially knowing I’ve found scorpions down there. In 2012 we were in a bind and decided to renovate this little century old farm house. I’m thankful for it but the crawl space is the number one reason why us throwing money in this old place bothers me because it’ll never be right. That said, I can’t really complain, and am thankful to have a roof over our head. But I agree, if at all possible steer clear, because if it bothers you to begin with, it probably isn’t going to get better.
I bought a house in upstate NY with a crawl space - its dry with concrete floor and cinder walls, insulated with spray foam under 1st floor but still has a few vents - not perfect (yet) but not wet and not cold. Since its my first house and haven't seen many crawl spaces before, I wasn't sure of quality of the space so its helpful to get a frame of reference for what is good and what to avoid or fix. Really helpful video.
I was a home inspector for 5 years in Georgia... Heard a story from an old-timer that actually found a human skeleton in a crawl space. He had to leave immediately and called the police... Turns out they buried grandma in the crawl space because they couldn't afford a funeral.
Thanks for the video... I appreciate the info and totally agree that crawl space should be conditioned spaces.
John Limongello I wonder if anyone is buried in my crawlspace.
Oh I hope she was ok
@@comcfi No. She was dead. Grandma was DAYD !
@@comcfi she was she’s just chillin
A husband murdered his step son and buried him in the crawl. The new owner's wife went down to check something and found shoes poking up. She tried to grab them but couldn't. Husband checked and discovered femurs, so cops were called.
I love retrofitting old crawlspaces with closed cell foam and vapor barriers. Massive benefits in efficience and air quality.
If you have a vented crawlspace and want to convert it, what is the best way? Vapor barrier the ground (I have concrete) and close cell foam the walls?
Not a builder, just a homeowner. I had just changed my dehumidifier filter in my crawlspace when I came back up to you having posted this video. I’d been worried about it for a while, and this video was the straw that broke the camel’s back and got me moving. We had most of the problems you talked about. We found a company that encapsulates existing crawl spaces in our area. They just finished today. Not the most sexy space to spend money in the house, but I feel much happier about the sealed, drained, encapsulated area under the house now.
AND CONDITIONED
The one takeaway from this video...is that money is no object.
Same thing I was thinking, when you got money then things will be done by the most expensive professionals. I've been to enough third world countries were I've seen people live in those nasty crawl space conditions and call it home.
Where's the money Skylar
@@layicorn Skyler..... WHERE IS THE MONEY!!??!
The whole point of the channel is for best building practices, though, not just the most cost effective. You can take these principles and make your own compromises based on your own budget.
I'm an engineer by degree and an industrial project manager by profession, and have been eager to get into home construction for awhile. As a segue into the field, I purchased an 1920's home a year ago and have been renovating it solo with immense study of codes and best practice, a lot of which comes from Matt's video's. It really makes me wish my early years were spent training under someone like Matt who clearly knows plenty of the tried and true methods, but is happy to entertain the up and coming technologies as well. I love the videos and appreciate the time put into making them - this is an excellent channel!
I spent over 25 hours in my crawl after watching this the first time. Went from vented with roll bat underbelly, no sump and exterior access to sealed, conditioned, rigid foam perimeter, interior access and a sealed sump pit at each end. Watching again because noone else cares but us
Can you share in photos?
I am
The same as you… and a 49 year lady who uses a walker and wheelchair. I cannot afford to hire anyone and and I care about my home, my mortgage makes me be able to afford a decent but modest place to live. There are wires all over the ground and that frightens me- the ductwork and plumbing are nicely hung/ supported… but past workers left old materials scattered, it went and moist.. a couple of 12inx12 in (6 in depth) shoveled? Areas… that have little pools of water.. the rest is just damp and thick muddy by the back side of the house brick foundation line. I am overwhelmed and not sure where to begin. Cleaning for sure. Checking for any dangerous wiring, I have installed a French drain in my front yard and am thinking I should put one in along the back of the home. Alternatively, my home slopes downward, so perhaps a vapor barrier and concrete poured over. Being disabled and on a fixed income is not ideal right about now! 😂
@@pullingweeds-managingcptsd252 start with outside grading and extending your gutter down spout run off drains
Yes I can take some photos it’s raining today so I was going to do a little bit of investigation depending on how hard it rains I was under there yesterday and did find a couple of skeletal remains luckily not human but I’ll joking aside last time I was down there I was electrocuted by a live wire which we had an electrician come out and cap off. I now know that I need to turn off the main breaker and clean the wire mess up I think mostly as a lot of cable wire that’s just been cut through the years and satellite dish wiring at Cetera. Anyway I will see if I can get down far enough today I’m a little achy due to the rain on top of my normal issues but if not I have a window that was busted out that I built a frame and put in a pane of glass and I’m insulating the glass and getting ready to put that into the brick area that contains the metal frame for the window that is actually embedded into the construction so I am also adding a layer of foam insulation board to the back of it and installing the window in front of it. But I will not install the insulation board until I finish working because until I permanently install the window that I built and then caulk it in etc. I can take it out for work purposes and ventilation. I can actually crawl through the little holes that divide up the old window that had acrylic in it if I really wanted to which I don’t but since I can crawl through it means that I can also lean through to take pictures and at least zoom in so you can get an idea even if they’re not the best quality. One question that I do have is that I want to replace the insulation because it is just hanging down probably from aids and rodents or other critters in some places the wooden floor joists and the wood flooring are still sound I have already checked. This past winter we did actually have a Water main break and the city just left it for a week because they said that the man who needed to cut the concrete was on vacation mind you they only needed to cut 2 ft.² but anyway it flooded our yard which I trench to my French drain which I had already installed and then hi later had to go back and trench from the backyard where the French drain lets out which is actually the side yard and it’s past the house of course I had to trench down to the woods behind our house and we live on 3/4 acre so it was a very tedious long job. I re-graded the front yard when I had to repair all of the trenching that I had to do to save my crawlspace because it was so very flooded but the area most affected is the area that I didn’t have to trench and so I actually was able to quickly add soil and build up the front side yesterday in the area that is most affected. I totally went on a bunny trail there but anyway insulation so I want to tear down the old road yucky insulation and I’m thinking insulation board. Opinions? By the way I apologize for the run-on‘s and grammar issues but I have nerve damage and can’t feel my hands although they are functional but typing on my iPad is really creepy so I speak and it turns into a book unfortunately and it turns into conversational writing::: so I just wanted to explain I’m not just being a flake. Lol
@@Tomtom9401 I am not sure how to share the photos here?
Its crazy. My folks had their double wide installed back in 85' I think. Wayy before people were really worried about leaving them up high enough to actually crawl and not shimmy under the house.
Whenever I'm looking for a video on any subject, Matt akways has one. Thanks for this
You didn't mention anything about air movement in a sealed or conditioned crawl space. I do believe a sealed crawl space is the way to go, I have completely sealed my crawl space and it is fantastic, (no shoes in my crawl space, Lol), but also it is now part of the air of the entire house, so part of the heating and cooling system. without air movement you can have moisture build up? Yes? or adding a dehumidifier in the crawl space to regulate the humidity. Love your input, Thanks for the video.
Thank you Matt! We bought a fixer upper and the first thing we did was spray open cell in the attic, 2nd thing we did encapsulate the crawl spaces, We have yet to insulate the spaces, still researching the most economical way to do it right i.e. closed cell vs. XPS with spray foam gaps, remodels can get out of hand cost wise, and we aren't sure if we want to invest in quality and stay here or do it well and sell, so much of what we do is determined by the market and our jobs. Thanks Matt for everything you are doing especially recently.
Good video Matt. I did a retro system on my old house in Northern Idaho a few years ago. Took a wet, dank, dirty, smelly crawlspace and added a powered vent system underneath a white vapor barrier that turned the space into a magical place. It improved air quality in the home dramatically. When I sold the house, the buyers inspector arrived to look things over. He asked where the crawl space access was and I showed him. I had installed lights under there as well. It gleamed like a diamond in the sky and he literally said, "Oh I love you!" He was so happy to find that space clean, neat, tidy, and dry. I think I spent less than $500 for the entire project including the power vent system (radon gas was high and that was main priority for powered vent system).
OffGridBear I’m impressed with your retro system work, would it be possible to get additional information especially about your power vent system? My email:3jshvac@gmail.com. Thanks!
It's pretty easy. I purchased a Fantech 4" vent fan, don't remember exact model. My house outside footprint was 24x42 so I just purchased a 12 or 20 mil (can't remember) radon/moisture membrane online. It was 25x50 which fit my situation perfectly. It allowed me to bring it up the wall about 18 inches on every side where it was attached with a drill and plastic fasteners to the block wall, then that was overlayed at the edge with special tape to seal it all up. before installing the barrier I placed perforated drain pipe (just laying on the dirt) down the long axis of the center of the crawlspace. Over that I placed some of that green erosion control poly blanket stuff you see along highways after construction. It was the cheapest air gap I could find. I think I got enough to do the entire space for $40 on Craigslist. Then the vapor barrier went over that. My barrier was black on one side with a mesh sandwiched between the white layer on the other side. I installed it white side up. The perforated pipe attached with a rubber boot to standard 4" PVC pipe that was sealed before it exited through a hole I made in the wood part of wall and then went up the side of the house to the vent fan. I had an outdoor electric plug on that side of house and I just tapped into that circuit for wiring. It was really pretty easy. I actually lived off-grid at the time so I put a switch on that fan that allowed me to turn it off if needed. It didn't draw very much power at all though and was left running all the time. If I was to do it over I would dig out a little channel for the pipe to drop into so there wasn't a hump in the middle of the floor. I'd also have placed 2" foam insulation boards down on the ground before putting in the pipe, air gap, and barrier. I was thinking only about moisture/gas control and not about creating a crawlspace that was part of the heating/cooling space and it would have made the house a lot warmer in the winter I think if I'd done a full insulation down there. Otherwise I was very happy with how it did vapor/gas/moisture control.
OffGridBear Thanks so much for the info.
I have in an old one story stone house (2 foot thick stone walls) with a 2 foot(max) crawl space. Water under there rooted the entire wood joist floor. The only utility under there is a propane line running from the man door to a wall furnace. It' in the midwest with both COLD winter and HOT summers. Should I condition that space and put new wood floor OR fill it and pour a concrete slab? Which is cheaper? Which is better?
@@2Truth4Liberty Have you fixed downspouts and site grading first? Also, a Santa Fe Compact2 dehumidifier worked wonders for my crawlspace.
Crawl spaces are big here in Canada(Manitoba anyways) mostly ICF with ridged foam 4x8 around the perimeter. Poly inside with sand or pea stone on top and sump pit with weeping tile all around. Works great for the furnace , hrv , ducting, plumbing, electrical ran easy, hwt , jet pump, etc.
Thanks Matt! I'm not a builder but always wondered why you would do that. I'll do a slab on grade in Idaho with radient heat.
I am
The same as you… and a 49 year lady who uses a walker and wheelchair. I cannot afford to hire anyone and and I care about my home, my mortgage makes me be able to afford a decent but modest place to live. There are wires all over the ground and that frightens me- the ductwork and plumbing are nicely hung/ supported… but past workers left old materials scattered, it went and moist.. a couple of 12inx12 in (6 in depth) shoveled? Areas… that have little pools of water.. the rest is just damp and thick muddy by the back side of the house brick foundation line. I am overwhelmed and not sure where to begin. Cleaning for sure. Checking for any dangerous wiring, I have installed a French drain in my front yard and am thinking I should put one in along the back of the home. Alternatively, my home slopes downward, so perhaps a vapor barrier and concrete poured over. Being disabled and on a fixed income is not ideal right about now! 😂
This was meant to be a reply to another comment but didn’t attach? Weird… it was to the person who has spent 25 hours in their crawlsbase!
What you need is a hard working man and some good conversation
I was going to ask Matt about the foam and or the insulation board covering the top of the wall preventing termite inspections but after looking down through the comments it's apparent he doesn't answer any comments. I'm sure he's busy.
I know a few places where I live on Vancouver Island that have a heated slab on grade with 2 heat pumps. One for the heated floor and the other for forced air up stairs. It could also be a geothermal system run on solar power. On top of that, you can have a heated driveway, so you don't have to shovel snow. That would be handy if you had a steep driveway and you need to "get going".
I have a crawlspace 2000sqft built 12yrs ago. The walls are 8inch x 4ft poured on a 2ft x 6inch footer. I am in the middle of retrofitting it now. I sanded and sealed the whole underneath and floor joists. I installed a sump pit in case of an emergency line leak. The crawl floor has plastic then 4inches of pea gravel. When it rains alot water will seep a little around the edge on top of the footer. I have used hydraulic cement to slow it down but still not 100% so I need to fix that before I encapsulate. The vents I have been opening when it's under 45% humidity. I am going to install little windows in front of my vents as a easy way to vent or seal.
I clicked on this video expecting more Breaking Bad references.
Walt please please just hear me out please
Don't forget Radon! If in a high radon zone, do some research or bring in a radon professional when building crawlspaces. The better and tighter you build a house the worse radon concentration can be within the home. At this stage with a membrane or slab installed you can get a complete radon system for around $500-$1000. Additionally, it is much easier to lay that membrane with taping during initial construction. You can also plan to install piping through the house up to the attic area which eliminates uglier exterior radon systems. Talk to the homeowner and discuss getting a radon professional in to evaluate your situation.
Hmmm, a radon company shilling for radon control. Radon is literally a non issue. But you have shilled so hard that pretty much anyone buying a house gets a radon test and freaks out now.
One thing I would really like to hear more about is how to deal with up-gassing requirements. I get the theory of 'seal everything and condition the crawl space' but many municipalities will not allow you to fully seal a vented crawl space under the argument of up-gassing. How can these concepts be put into practice?
"WHERE IS THE MONEY?!"
@@tGGgGg-sp9yx AHAHAHAHAHHHAAHAHA
Lol I love this
Shoot, those are ALL good crawl spaces. We just bought a house in Florida and the hallway walls (where the heat and air exchanger is in a closet) have 2" gap at the top. It was a shotgun house, built in 1949 and bedrooms and bathroom were added and a 90 degree long section of house was added (so now the house is "L" shaped). The house has cement block at the perimeter and short floor joists, wit support beams unt them The house has crawl space vents, but is less than 12"'; tall, so no way to going in that way. I had to actually cut holes in the floor to get down there but it doesn't matter (and I doubt anyone will believe this, so I'll get pics out soon). Apparently, they filled in the crawl space with dirt and poured some thin concrete pads and then put bricks on that and then built the floor. Well, some years later they decided to put gas pipes in, so they dug out trenches where the pipes ran and that weakened some pilons. Then some more years later a water leak inside the house damaged the top of the floor joist beams and the floor joist themselves sunk into the beams. I was told I need to jack up each floor joist and put supports under them, to eliminate the water damaged main support beam. I consider that to be the all time WORST CRAWL SPACE.
I built my crawl space with Amvic foam blocks, then used spray foam in the joist bays which is code here in northwest Montana, then I put in a radon system and filled in with 3/4 wash. Black plastic over that and seal it, it has worked perfectly. No mold, conditioned space that stays 64 degrees all year round. Only thing I would have done differently is I would have liked to have a concrete slab instead.
You put your radon system under the plastic? So, how does it do you any good if it is shield from getting any air to it?
Slabs are terrible in Houston's gumbo soil. Your concrete floor idea is very interesting. Here in CA I am building a full basement/garage.
Matt/BuildShow team, recommend that you add a note about possible need for radon mitigation along with crawl space encapsulation perhaps with a link to some of your content on that topic. After watching this video (several times) I encapsulated my crawl space and later discovered that in doing so I created a radon issue. Thanks
Unless your site is rock, or the budget is tight, what is the rationale for only building a half-basement rather than a full one? For only a few percent extra on the cost of the build you double your floorspace (for a single story home) wheile building a half-basement you seem to incur a lot of the same costs but don't get nearly as much utility out of it.
Or even cheaper you just put the ground floor a bit higher and make a full storey for utilities out of a half basement.
Trying to figure that out myself. Ive got a 4 ft high half basement here in CT. I guess if they made it 7 ft that would either mean a couple extra steps to the front door or they would have to dig out the extra 3 ft and maybe hit water? I don’t know but if not then it just seems foolish to build this way.
I despise any space that is below ground level. Ground water is a constant concern, and expensive to control. I much rather have a crawlspace built on a slab.
I'm curious if crawlspaces have fewer radon gas issues than basements.
In cold climates you pour slab on top of a styrofoam insulation. They make pressure resistant styrofoam blocks for that.
We should build grass huts, easy and quick construction and much cheaper to replace. They should breathe well too. :-)
Phil Ward then someone can tear a hole in the grass and steal your PS4 while you’re at work.
I live on ground that was once a glacial flood plain and the ground is mostly clay. I frequently see water lying on the surface of the ground up to 4-6 inches deep in the Spring or in heavy rain during the summer or Fall. I have 3 building on a slab that is threatened by the rising water. I have one building on a crawl. I've seen every kind of problem possible in the crawl space, leaky pipes, animals that get in through the venting hanging wires, sweating copper pipes. I would like to be able to have access to the mechanical equipment and avoid that belly crawling disaster under the house. I think I have to start over and rebuild all properties slightly above grade and put a retention pond somewhere on the property.
It would be good if you had video showing exactly how you do it especially with the vapor barrier because I’m wondering do you have a concrete slab or do you have stone under the vapor barrier
Closed Cell foam insulation is extremely sensitive to moisture - during installation. You can't just go down in your crawl space and start spraying foam everywhere, all surfaces that are going to be sprayed have to be dry otherwise you're not going to get long lasting adhesion
Foam is terrible! No idea what he's on about!
At the 8:00-minute mark, when Matt is talking about the drainage board/dimple mat/filter fabric; is he referring to one item? Are the drainage board and dimple mat products such as DamPro XL? Trying to educate myself.
Matt I love your videos I'm 23 I have installed Windows for 5 years and I love building science! How do I transition to this type of Career..
So now I wonder how much a proper sealed stem wall with a slab bottom like the one showed is gonna cost...
The EPA has a design to update a crawlspace drops energy use and gets rid of mold.
Great video, question, if you have a open crawl space, cabin is on posts (2 feet height) with open sides, how many inches of CLOSED CELL spray foam do you need between your floor joist to form a moisture barrier? Thank you in advance.
You mentioned in the video that most people don't make basements in the South but I don't think you've clarified as to why?
I've never seen a craw space in South Florida Home , slab and Block .
English is not my first language and i'm not really familiar with the right terms but please correct me. Ductwork sounds stupid to me but we use here what we call "forced ventilation" which means you just only have holes in your walls and nothing else. The more holes u have the merrier and the air can move around.
What would you do for a house on beam (12-18' high) as far as insulating the floor? This is in southern MS on the water (Bay St Louis). I would think close cell foam. But I have seen where people are recommending no insulation at all since there isn't much thermal gain from heat underneath. I would think sealing the air in would be beneficial with foam or even zip floor sheathing. What are you r thoughts?
the one good thing about my vented crawlspace, and i mean the only good thing, is it seems to get a lot of cross wind to where im not too worried about moisture.
Look At that guy right there is a beautiful crawl space
I’m in northern California. I bought a home that was built in 1927 with a 18” crawl. There is no duct work as we used ductless mini splits. We also used pex piping for water. We did fiberglass insulate with the vapor barrier toward the subfloor. When in the crawl it was so dry it felt like concrete! So here’s my question... recently it rained and this home never had gutters prior to our remodel and now I smell musty air from time to time - assuming it’s coming up from the crawl - should I still seal the crawl or just redirect downspouts? Our humidity is below 70% most of the year. And our climate is typically 40-90 degrees most of the year. I currently have vents, but no fan - the access to the crawl is also basically a huge vent too- with lattice over it.... what solutions would you propose? The internet is full of salesman and really contradictory- help! I was to be safe and keep my family healthy!
홈통과 팬이요
Cost is why people build bad crawl spaces and not conditioned ones or basements. I'm looking to build a crawlspace, but I live in California and cost is a big problem here. Looking for ways to solve bad crawlspace foundations without breaking the bank.
I recently came in contact with your cahnnel and you have some awesome educational videos!!!
I’ve seen both and now I’m confused to which it should be. Should I put my vapor barrier on top of my rigid insulation on the walls or behind?? I’d be kind of concerned of putting the rigid insulation behind the vapor barrier because I don’t want soil vapor to have access to the rigid insulation and eventually keep wicking up through even though it’s high density XPS and so won’t absorb much I just don’t want it to be able to absorb any
The code here requires the insulation and seal to stop six inches below the sill plate for termite inspection. It seems like that would be a problem with a conditioned crawlspace. I'd love to do this though. Vents are a joke.
Can I staple the vapor barrier up on the beam, floor joist in the crawl space instead of laying it on the ground?
Would a crawl space that is airtight like that need ventilation?
Awesome content as usual 🌸
How do you add piers from an old home that needs additional piers or replacement?
I'm wondering about that foam...interior insulation like that, especially closed cell, will force vapor from the outside up the cement directly into your sill plate. How's that house holding up?
I just discovered this excellent video. I recently purchased a home close to Tokyo, and I'm preparing to start remodeling. The crawl space appears to be rather tidy. The only thing on the ground is dirt, and the wind goes through the floor. I'm going to cover the ground with a waterproof vapor sheet then put rocks on top. I would like to apply spray foam on the floor's underside, but I can't seem to get it in Japan (they may sell it, I've simply not seen it). I was going to attempt the foam block insulation that they sell. There is a lot of moisture in the area because it is near the water. everything molds easily. Should I consider that as I insulate the crawlspace area?
Hi Matt, I've been learning a lot from your videos. In a crawlspace retrofit situation (Northern California, vented space, high winter ground water can make the space damp)...when using spray foam isn't condensation on the joists a concern since the top of the joist might be warm while the bottom would be cold? Would it not be preferable to spray foam the underdeck and entirely around the joists?
Separate from insulation, putting in ground encapsulation, part of our area is "rat proofed" with uneven concrete splashed around. It is rough enough that would likely tear the plastic sheeting when repairs are needed to plumbing or electrical. Is there some sort of waterproof pad that can be placed between the "rat proofing" and the plastic sheathing to prevent the sheeting from tearing? Complicating this, that section of the crawlspace is sloped so adding something like sand would likely not work. Finally, any comments on using active ventilation to place the crawlspace in slight negative pressure? Thanks in advance for any ideas/suggestions!
Matt, I know this video is couple years old now but I'm hoping you still answer questions on it. My question is this....if I condition my crawl space with either rigid foam polyiso on block wall & spray foam the under deck/ floor joists, do I still need to wrap/insulate the HVAC ducting? I'm thinking it would be unnecessary if the space becomes conditioned but in this video, it looked like your buddy Todd, had wrapped ductwork even with the conditioned crawl space. Thanks for all your helpful videos.
You still want to insulate your ducts. Code required even in conditioned spaces. Think about AC mode. Your AC pumps out 55deg air and that space could be hot and humid leading to condensation and dripping.
@@buildshow thanks Matt. Big fan of your vids. I'm a DIY'er currently finishing my basement. You're an awesome teacher. I've learned a lot from you. Thanks for your time in answering my question. I'm sure you're very busy. Take care.
Thanks for the infor great education for everyone.
Great video.. thanks for the info
That will cost a fortune. Is there a diy way to spray closed cell insulation in that quantity? Have a split level. It was leaking bad until I found previous owner had professional water proofing with sump pump under crawlspace and with rubber and gravel channel after I lived there for two and a half years. One cut of insulation has fell down and I want to take it all out and spray. I had the idea of spraying for a while but never seen anyone do it under floor. I’ve read that spray foam over time can shrink and leave gaps. Can you give me some advice? I try to do what I can because I keep seeing so many contractors do things wrong as with my neighbor who has had to call one back twice for problems, not coming back to do the job, etc.
Great stuff. Thanks bud
I've never crawled under a house and enjoyed it. Those climate controlled crawl spaces look like a fun place to work.
Palmetto Paratrooper its more fun working in a proper basement
Very informative. Thank you. I have a nice conditioned crawl space, but I'd like to put some kind of coating on the concrete floor (it is chalky and I track grit back into the house after I go down there). Do you have any recommendations?
Seems we need to adopt the latest energy and building codes to make this required.
Would be nice. 'Course would push new construction out of reach of many of the people who can just barely afford to get into a home.
Happy Independence Day!
Great video. We have an old brick home in Denver CO and are remodeling our half basement. the crawl space is sealed and i guess could be called a short basement (3.5 feet high). does anyone have any ideas how to insulate it or should we? thanks
With all the variables with weather in different states is a concern, what if I wanted a storm shelter or maybe a root cellar /underground cellar in that conditioned crawlspace, and the stairway leading to it, how can it be done or have you seen one?
My only question is How do you keep your floor from being loud? Seems like if there’s insulation in the joist bays it muffles some of the echo when you walk, any suggestions or info on that?
Hi Matt,
Thanks for the videos, I love your show! Couple Quick question, you said I can use closed cell foam to retrofit my old house, so do i need medium density or high density foam? Do I want to close up the vents too, even though I am not going to put the plastic everywhere and just spray the foam?
Hello Patrick, I had the same question. What did you end up doing?
my father was a framer in texas, he said in the 80s anyone building a house on a slab in texas is a fool.. You're on clay, texas gets some of the worst storms ever and he predicted houston will flood badly in the future.. It did too..... Anywhere you live if its flat, build it at least six feet up unless you dont mind flooding, and no it doesnt always flood but there is a very good chance it will someday.. just an ounce of prevention... if the crawl space is large enough to maneuver around easily then thats just bonus area for storage like bikes etc....
That closed cell foam you recommend as a retrofit option is a bad idea. One plumbing leak and you can say goodbye to your subfloors!
Matt, any experience with Superior Walls?
I'm buying a prefab cabin that I would like to set on top of a crawl space. I'm using a mini split for air and heat so I don't need duct work. My main reason for the crawl space is for plunking and I would like to put my well down there. Could you point me in the right direction to build the most proficient and inexpensive crawlspace I can get away with. It Will only be a 20x16 cabin and I live in Michigan. Would appreciate any help you can give me. Thanks
If you seal up the crawl space with a CleanSpace product on the ground and partway up the foundation and then closed cell foam on the foundation and in the outside band of the floor framing which means that the crawl space is sealed should there be positive air flow into the space from the AC/HVAC unit?
I think so. Should probably be a semi conditioned space.
I've gone into many crawl spaces working as a telecom tech. Yes, it is nasty. I've run across dead animals and even a live German Shepard! One of my co-workers was attacked by fleas and had to be treated at a hospital!
yeah but when it comes to repair cost. slabs in texas are around 8k to 25k to fix foundation issues. crawl space is around 180 to fix a pier and beam per pier. plus if you have a water leak on slab I paid almost 8k for the concrete and new pipe. if it was pier and beam around 300 to 500. no concrete work. so if your looking for long term low repair cost spend the extra 4 or 5k to condition the crawl space.
Excellent points
I live in Fort Worth Texas. What website can I go to get a quote. We are building a new home and I just need a foundation conditioned crawl space for a 2400 Sq foot house (1800 sq foot down stair and 600 sq foot up stairs in the front of the house) do you know anyone around the area or do you work around here? I want to go with someone that knows pier and beam and alot of people I've talked to only want to do slab on grade and we are building for long term ownership so I don't mind spend more as long as in the long term I can keep cost to a minimum
12:21 Most people can't just spend the time and money...the vast majority of citizens in the united states are at or below the poverty line. I know you are not a billionaire (at least I'm assuming you aren't) but I am very confident that you are very well off, possibly even "rich". And you've worked hard, you've more than earned it. I've watched many of your videos, heard about your history, how you started, things you've done. You really seem to be a hard and well educated worker and one that takes pride in his work and doesn't settle for shortcuts. But there are countless others that work just as hard as you, but don't have the same payoff. Most people unfortunately can't spend the time and money. I'd love to completely remodel my house and make the attic conditioned space, do away with the craw space under the addon that was built in the 70s, replace the windows, have an engineered duct system that takes into consideration the dynamics of heat from people, computers, other machines, but it would all cost more than twice what the house is worth. I'd spend $200,000 easily, if not more. Even if it was only $100,000 though it's not feasible and even if it was $50,000 or $25,000 it still wouldn't be even close to feasible. I don't know...I'm kind of ranting I guess and it's not really relative to the video and the advice of "do it right" is solid advice...it's just frustrating not being able to. :(
Not to mention your better off putting money into a 401k, RothIRA, etc. to prepare for retirement rather than sinking all that money into a home which only keeps up with inflation.
They're good to hide your money in plastic bags, scream at your wife when she gives it away, and laugh like a madman while your phone rings.
*WHERE IS THE MONEY!*
Alberto2341
10k that's a great deal, someone had a similar problem, but this was caused by their own pluming system that got clogged up for Who knows how long, until a pipe bursted and started flooding the crawl space going all the way up through the floors in to the bedrooms, the quote they got was about $60 grand. Not a good situation.
Gil Zr bruh
breaking bad
@@isaaclim1104 lmao
Matt...Most of the crawlspaces that I've ever seen, were in coastal communities in mapped flood zones where basements in these areas were prohibited, yet built prior to base flood elevation (BFE) standards being incorporated in the building codes. In certain communities here in the northeast, FEMA had recently completed flood map revisions, which placed existing homes with basements in a special flood hazard area (SFHA)...Those homes have lost significant value as the flood insurance premiums are cost prohibitive for most. The best recommendation for those facing this dilemma, is to move all of the mechanical systems, and fill their basements in to surrounding grade. That in itself will significantly reduce the flood premium, but not completely solve their issue as the (new) lowest floor elevation may still be under the BFE for that area. Flood insurance rates increase exponentially once a determined (by an elevation certificate) lowest floor elevation drops below the surrounding grade on all sides.
Many people would benefit from you posting a good tutorial on how to accomplish an affordable basement to a FEMA compliant crawlspace conversion.
Right, can't build no basements by the coast.
Also when you are in the flood zone, not everyone want to build houses on piers as it will require to climb staircase, so you can see tons of older houses built on 2ft ventilated crawlspaces that currently are getting encapsulated by local contractors due to high humidity.
I used to have a really nasty crawl space under my house... That is until my street's sewer line backed up, and back pressure forced the entire street's sewage into it once it popped the main line off. I couldn't even get a plumber to go down there to repair the broken pipe until I had a restoration company come in, which is basically a hazmat team to clean up the mess. What they did in the process was basically totally modernize my crawlspace, installed a vapor barrier, put down clean fresh sand to replace all the contaminated debris they removed. The best part was because it was caused by a blockage in the city's lines, they footed the bill for the entire process. Almost 10k$ between the restoration and the plumbing bills, and now I've got a beautiful crawlspace that makes it a dream to get down in when working on plumbing and what not. I've never been so happy over a sewage backup before.
LOL, the 10K you did not spend was a frigging deal!
Forbidden User w wow
That's why they'll also pay to upgrade/update your sewer system to the street to avoid these problems
That’s a happy ending!
I just quit working with a plumber partially because of these issues. One house we were called to he boasted how he had done a main sewer line repair at the house but we had to go back to clear the drain again.
What I found was that he had simply put in a cleanout just inside the access but when he ran the snake he broke the rest of the old 3 1/2 inch thin sewer. So, for years the sewer had drained into the very sloped crawlspace. The air was so bad possums had gone in and died from the gas. We had to pump out the sewage and then make the repair. Later the owner had to replace the rest of the drain all the way to the street. A large tree had put roots into the line. Crawlspace from hell. I get sick with just remembering.
This is all well and good, but of little help to those of us who own homes with bad crawl spaces. If I were to build new, it’d be a different story. As it is, I watch stuff like this and just get depressed
Mark, There are ways to make crawl spaces better. In MI, we often slide in I-beams and raise the house up and add block. I am going to build a new house on a crawl. It will be 4 blocks high, (32 inches) and after all underground is installed, I will pour a 3" slab. Firing strips will run across all joists at 2 ft. o.c., and install R-38. My furnace / a.c, and hot water on demand will be in the attic. All water supply will come from overhead. All will be heat taped, insulated, and set into the fiberglass R-38. I am retired, but jacking up houses here is very common practice. Many basements were 6-6 and 7' tall. They lift them and add block to make 8 ft. basements.
I am living in a house now with a vented crawlspace (1956 house). I'm pretty sure it is or soon will be, a squirrel nursery.
Looking at the same thing with my grandma's cheap old rental with a vented crawl space. The house isn't worth enough to upgrade the crawl space, so I think the best option is to seal the vents in the winter and open them in the summer.
I couldn't get past the first few minutes of whining about crawl spaces. Maybe cut back on the whining. Many people have crawl spaces because that's what they could afford. If you have some actual input about how to make an existing crawl space better, maybe get to the point.
Nice video b-but.... Skylar..
Where's the money?
*SKYLAR, WHERES THE MONEY?!?*
As a plumber I do hate crawl spaces however after crawling and them for years they become like a plumber's home. And all I can say is there is a reason that commercial is usually done on slab and has concrete slab. However I want to add to this then when you have a concrete slab that you lay all your pipes in there's ever any major issues you got to start chopping up that concrete slab. The project gets a lot more expensive and a lot more extensive when you don't have a crawl space. So from a maintenance perspective crawl spaces are often really handy.
Well said , crawl spaces built, right cost alot less.
I have to say that It is refreshing to hear you admit to things that you "used" to do that no longer meet your standards. A great quality for those that are always looking for the best which is an evolving benchmark. I look forward to learning from you, kudos!
Yea, well, you don't live in California where basements are basically non-existent. The alternative is slab construction, which makes any kind of modification or remodel hell.
I don't have sympathy for moisture issues. On any wooden house leaving any sort of moisture under the house is death for the house. You deal with moisture by finding the cause and GETTING RID OF IT. I have a standard to poor crawl space and I have to be down there a lot, and I HATE IT. But I did something about it, by getting rid of all the rocks and trash the builders left under the house and laying plastic on the ground, and by installing lighting.
The house I grew in had a crawl space. Just the dirt that the house sits on is the floor. It never got muddy under there. It actually looked better than the photos of the disasters in this video. The house is in the central valley of California.
Seems like no modern houses built in Southern California have basements for sure, but a fair number of old ones do. I've known several people in my area that have basements, but typically those houses are early 1900ish.
I wouldn't expect tract homes to have basements in California.
I unfortunately have water Ingress into my crawl space because of a very high water table. I have two sump pumps down there on the perimeter dumping it out. No matter what happens when it rains water will get in through the foundation. I have downspout extensions and my house is on a crown sloping the soil away from the house. I do have a vapor barrier but I pulled it back a foot from the foundation and dug a trench to the sump pumps. I keep the vents open in the summertime to have the air flow reduce the moisture. Not much I can do in the winter time. Not sure if a French drain would solve this or not. All of my neighbors have this issue. Wish there was a cheap or easy solution but it does not appear that there is one.
@@paulsallee4889 It sounds like your gutter and exterior drainage has already been addressed. There will always be some moisture intrusion. The easiest solution is to run a dehumidifier year-round, and keep it encapsulated. I keep a wet-vac in the crawl, but only use it for dust cleanup since I got the gutters all working.
A good place to hide all the money you got from Meth buisness
Is it a good idea to hide my money in a crawl space, I’m planning on having a meltdown and start laughing when my wife says she gave our money to someone
better call saul!
I've been in a crawl space here in Scandinavia in a house that was build the year 1900. It was great. It was well ventilated and the ground drained well. No plastic to trap water, so very little rot or bad odours even after 100+ years. The entire house was just extremely well built and throughout.
I'd love to see details, video & stills, of the construction of your house.
I live on top solid limestone rock. If I would try to dig a halfway decent basement. It would probably cause me $100,000 in excavator fees along with hammer attached. Personally I think code should require you to install neting under a house to provide insulation from falling down.
they very convinien easy access for plumbing drain. no isolated .
You forgot to mention underpressure. That's how we do them in Sweden nowadays. Basically the blowout fan is in the crawlspace and the intake vents are in the house. That creates an underpressure which makes sure that the air from the crawlspace doesn't go up into the house
I don't build, but Matt's videos help me think about the kind of home I want to live in, especially if we hire someone to build us a home rather than buy a pre-owned home.
Dosadoodle - I’m in the process of tearing down my 100+ year old home here in SW Florida (it’s so grossly inefficient and while 4k+ sqft uses space terribly) and building a new one. These videos have been a goldmine for me as I’d never thought about these things until now. One interesting bit, I’m going with a company that takes my blueprints and builds the house shell in ~65 pieces out of a sandwich of concrete board and 8” of closed-cell foam... it looks and builds just like a normal house except it’s airtight with the windows in less than a week !! Not to mention the Herr (I think? The insulation score) score of 50 with the triple glazed hurricane proof windows... with the Tesla SolarRoof and PowerWalls (and a bunch of other whizbang renewable tech) I’ll never repeat the 11 days without power we suffered after Hurricane Irma !!
Our specialty is getting rid of crawlspaces haha
Moisture/vapor condenses on the warm side of an insulated partition. Closed cell on the floor of a south crawl space that also has cold winters, such as zone 4, Tennessee, South and North Carolina and many miles north or south of there can cause condensation above the insulation. Be sure you take these comments with a very specific knowledge of your local conditions.
I'm in Dallas and I'm about to replace all of the beams under my house because of wood rot. The sub floor is fine, but the prior owner did a closed cell foam under the floor, sealing in any moisture that migrated down from the living space. Anyone ever spill a glass of water? If so, now you have moisture that will get stuck on top of the closed foam, and rot it. This is why my beams failed, but the plywood decking did not.
Okay I'm going to be honest I used to think that all houses had a basement and a crawl space was only in scary movies to make scarier
As an HVAC/plumbing tech I would kill for crawl spaces like these. Here in Oklahoma most of the houses are 60+ years old, no vapor barrier on most houses and your lucky if you have room to crawl after 60 years of settling.
Here in Canada we make our crawl spaces insulated sealed and conditioned.
devin m good job guy
No termite gap when you sprayed closed cell foam?
No... not if its done correctly... termites, moisture, air, etc... closed-cell foam takes care of it all... but it is spendy.
You and your friends work looks phenomenal.👍 I love the indoor access to the crawl space. I hate going in mine it’s nasty, especially knowing I’ve found scorpions down there.
In 2012 we were in a bind and decided to renovate this little century old farm house. I’m thankful for it but the crawl space is the number one reason why us throwing money in this old place bothers me because it’ll never be right. That said, I can’t really complain, and am thankful to have a roof over our head.
But I agree, if at all possible steer clear, because if it bothers you to begin with, it probably isn’t going to get better.
I bought a house in upstate NY with a crawl space - its dry with concrete floor and cinder walls, insulated with spray foam under 1st floor but still has a few vents - not perfect (yet) but not wet and not cold. Since its my first house and haven't seen many crawl spaces before, I wasn't sure of quality of the space so its helpful to get a frame of reference for what is good and what to avoid or fix. Really helpful video.
I have no idea how I got here, but thanks youtube reccomendation, I will consume this content