Vapor barrier required in crawlspace?
Next door neighbor is selling his house. A realtor noticed that the ground in the crawl space was damp (water table is close to the surface). Realtor states that the crawlspace should have a concrete floor or at least a vapor barrier, and that it is required by code. We are in Oberlin, OH. I am originally from Tx, where most of the houses were built on pier and beam with crawlspaces. I have never seen a floor to a crawlspace. Is the realtor correct? Will this cause damage to the house?
Thanks for any responses.
Replies
yes here vapr barrier required
will thier be damage if not, hard to say, depends on climate
in some homes we have put in a rat slab
put downa roll of 6 mil, and pour a "floor" on top
not anything pretty, just shoot some mud and screed it
but it depends on the owner and the location
as far as location, around here, you can be in one part of town, not put a mositure barrier and it stays dry as a bone all winter
in another part of town, that barrier might as well be a bladder for a pressure tanks, its floating if it can, or you go in in the spring and its covered with mud
have a house now, must be a spring under it, fine foundation drains, correct vapor barrier, but in one part, no where near a foundation wall, gets wet and turns to mud
so hows that for a non commital answer
thanks
Somehow, my mind had you in Florida!
Glad to see you still hitting breaktime occasionally!
I spent a week in Oberlin once. Visiting a friend there.
Name sticks in my head - Rozmarynowicz family
back to your question -
<IF> the codes says that now, it may not have said so when the house was built and there is no requirement enforcable to bring it up to new codes. but the realtor might be looking out for the interests of the buyer. or maybe he is working for the seller, and knows his market and that it would be an easier sell if the rat slab is poured first. or maybe he is fullabull.
but controlling moisture in a home is always good for it, regardless of what he says is the reason why. There are many ways to do it. Both FHB and JLC have had articles on the subject in the past couple of years, if my memory serves me right.
Welcome to the
Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime.
where ...
Excellence is its own reward!
Thanks for the reply.