How To Properly Vent A Crawl Space

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How to properly vent a crawl space. Do this in a humid climate and you re asking for trouble. Exhaust air to the outside. The crawl space floor area must be completely sealed with a vapor retarding material.

More recent thinking from building scientists dictated that crawl spaces should be sealed insulated and installed with a vapor barrier. A debate ensued and because some builders are slow to change many foundation vents continue to be installed. They should be treated as partially conditioned space to control moisture and decrease energy use.

If you encapsulate the crawl space adding a little bit of air from the hvac system. The outside air that. You can determine the amount of insulation needed by consulting paragraph n 1102 1 7 in the international residential code.

The seams must be sealed. Seal the crawl space from outdoor air close off those crawl space vents and convert the crawl space to conditioned space providing a small amount of heat where climate dictates to help keep the area dry and above freezing. Crawl space encapsulation is a proven method for ending all the problems that plague vented crawl spaces.

The edges of the vapor retarder must be lapped up against the inner foundation walls. Today building scientists the engineers who study how buildings perform recommend that a vented crawl space be sealed or encapsulated to isolate this under house area from exterior temperature and humidity conditions. Overlapped separate sheets must be lapped at least 6 inches.

All crawl space walls must be insulated to appropriate r values for the regional climate. Seal the crawl space against leaks into the building interior. Vent the crawl space to the outside.