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I am carpenter/architectural draftsman who recently stumbled upon an interesting and controversial issue from a local builder. Apparently the builder, after the house has been inspected and approved, completely seals off the inside of the block crawlspace with rigid foam insulation, including all openings and vents. He says that this “eliminates need for insulation between joists, alleiviates moisture, and makes for a crawlspace that is a constant 60 degrees. What are the ramifications behind this concept, besides the fact that it is against code, and is it really a good idea? Also, most of the house we specialize in are waterfront flood zones, if that makes any difference. Any discussion would be greatly appreciated.
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Kyle,
In my area (NW Ohio) we call that a conditioned crawl space (as long as there is a register to put some conditioned (heated/cooled air) into the crawl. Be sure there's a good vapor rewtarder on the soil.
Very rare to see moisture related problems (mold, rot) in a conditioned crawl.
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I am carpenter/architectural draftsman who recently stumbled upon an interesting and controversial issue from a local builder. Apparently the builder, after the house has been inspected and approved, completely seals off the inside of the block crawlspace with rigid foam insulation, including all openings and vents. He says that this "eliminates need for insulation between joists, alleiviates moisture, and makes for a crawlspace that is a constant 60 degrees. What are the ramifications behind this concept, besides the fact that it is against code, and is it really a good idea? Also, most of the house we specialize in are waterfront flood zones, if that makes any difference. Any discussion would be greatly appreciated.