Conditioned Crawlspace

[skyhightree1]

Does anyone else on here have a conditioned crawl space? I love mine it really helps the energy efficiency on the house. I wonder if this will in a few years become a building standard. I also love the fact its got heavy plastic you can crawl and lay on if you gotta ever work on something underneath the house.

 

[J&D Cattle]

Just normal vents on mine but I do have the plastic. Sure makes it nice when my lovely wife clogs up the plumbing from the kitchen a couple of times a year. (puts anything and everything down the garbage disposal)

 

[skyhightree1]

LMAO... I was under mine last week and it was nice if it were taller it could be a true man cave lol I thought I was gonna freeze when I got under there to run cable to another room in the house but I was pleased when I was greeted with a gust of warm air.

 

[slick4591]

Any of you close the vents up during the winter? In laws say to do this and I refused because my belief is they are there to keep the space dry. I think by closing them up you would allow moisture to build up and cause premature rotting and even mold.

 

[HDRider]

Any of you close the vents up during the winter? In laws say to do this and I refused because my belief is they are there to keep the space dry. I think by closing them up you would allow moisture to build up and cause premature rotting and even mold.

I kinda see it that way too, but my last house had vents that closed themselves when the temp dropped. I don't close mine. Even when it is cold (20 to 30 F) it feels warm under the house, and I think the air flowing makes it less damp and musty than if I closed them. Maybe if we had extended periods of below zero I'd have to close them.

 

[skyhightree1]

I don't have any vents to close up which is great. I use to have vents and worry about the mold and moisture build up but the conditioned crawlspace you do nothing.

 

[HDRider]

I don't have any vents to close up which is great. I use to have vents and worry about the mold and moisture build up but the conditioned crawlspace you do nothing.

What exactly does "conditioned" crawl space mean?

 

[skyhightree1]

this is the direct meaning
A conditioned crawlspace is a crawlspace constructed and insulated so that it is part of the conditioned space of the house. Conditioned crawlspaces remain less common than vented crawlspaces despite performing better in terms of safety, health, comfort, durability and energy consumption.

A picture can be found here
http://www.basementsystems.com/blog/wp- ... -after.jpg

 

[backhoeboogie]

I don't have any vents to close up which is great. I use to have vents and worry about the mold and moisture build up but the conditioned crawlspace you do nothing.

What exactly does "conditioned" crawl space mean?

There are code requirements that define them and they vary just like any other codes. Most common is a vapor/moisture barrier against the ground. These can trap in the soil and damage foundations.

Most all codes have vent requirements as well. Various reasons and basis but carbon monoxide accumulation and methane gas or other explosive atmospheres are a concern.

You can probably google condition crawlspace code requirements and read to your hearts content :cowboy:

 

[skyhightree1]

I do not have any negative issues after a couple years. I opted for the conditioned crawl space its not a code requirement here. I like it alot when I read up on them before getting it made sense to me.

 

[snake67]

Why no basement? Water table issues?

Bez

 

[hillsdown]

Why no basement? Water table issues?

Bez

That and it is also cheaper to build without a basement ????

 

[skyhightree1]

I had a soil scientist and somekind of basement engineer come test my soil my house is on a perfectly flat piece of land. The basement with all the draintiles and sump pumps added an additional 73k onto the house we chose not to go through all that expense just for a basement so we are adding a garage with an apartment over it " mother in laws suite ".

 

[hillsdown]

Makes sense to me Sky , I would do that too.

 

[skyhightree1]

yea my soil is sandy and doesnt divert water well. Do you have a basement hills? my old house had one I absolutely loved it.

 

[hillsdown]

Yes, we have a basement Sky but with no windows just a walk down from the foyer to it and an outside entrance to the mud room/bathroom and laundry room . There is no sump pump as we are built on a hill BUT we have flooded on occasion and the drain is in the middle of the carpeted family room so by the time it gets there my office and bathroom, cold room and freezer rooms are under water already. I would never have built the basement like this , it was built by city folks who have never had to deal with crazy country storms and rodents that will always find a way In if you have a vent anywhere the size if a toothpick .

I would much rather have everything on the main floor and an attached garage with extra living quarters. A basement is nice ,but with no windows it just feels like a dungeon to me and I hate being down there .

 

[greybeard]

Mine is vented pretty good. I don't have any moisture problems, or bump my head problems either.

I framed it out and closed it in since then, to keep the bigger critters out, but have 2 sections as gates and hinged on the back- 12' wide each. I keep the 4 wheeler and lawn tractor under there now.

 

[skyhightree1]

grey thats nice... does it flood alot where you are?

 

[greybeard]

Sometimes, I go down thru the pasture on the other side of my pond to see the river.

Sometimes the river comes up thru the pasture and across the pond to see me.

See the deer blind on the left way down the fence?

From a different angle--on a different day, it's way off in the distance, barely visible in the upper middle of this pic..

 

[skyhightree1]

wow... thats crazy... I figured you had flooding issues there which is why you built it the way you did. I do not want any river coming to see me lol I had been through one bad flood I hope never happens again. Whats the closest its came to the house?