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Conference 7.286::home_work

Title:	Home_work
Notice:	Check Directory (6.3) before writing a new note
Moderator:	CSLALL::NASEAM::READIO

Created:	Tue Nov 05 1991
Last Modified:	Fri Jun 06 1997
Last Successful Update:	Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:	2100
Total number of notes:	78741

146.0. "Basement - Crawl Space" by VERDI::LEWIS () Thu May 01 1986 16:24

    
    	I have a question about what to do with a small isolated "basement".
    This is a standard 4-ft.-below-grade foundation under a 7x10 room
    that's part of a recent addition.  I wasn't around when the contractor
    was buiding the floor on this, so I didn't know whether he had filled
    it with dirt (which I assume is the right thing to do...right?).
    Anyway, I just found out he didn't (I was getting ready to shingle
    and I pulled off one of the vents just to see if it was very moist
    inside...it was).  So, what I'm asking is what to do.  Several options
    I thought of:
    
    	- Digging around the foundation walls and coating the outside,
    	  but this isn't terribly practical, due to an adjacent bulkhead,
    	  pre-cast steps, etc. and there would still be the cold inner
    	  walls to condense moisture.
    
    	- Cutting an opening in the floor and coating the inside of
    	  the foundation walls, but being in a confined space with a gallon
    	  of chemicals doesn't sound too appealing or healthy, and that
    	  still leaves the cold walls.
    
    	- Cutting an opening in the floor and dumping enough fill dirt
    	  to bring it up to grade and then laying 6-mil plastic over
    	  the surface to keep any moisture confined.  Although a lot
    	  of work (but then, so is replacing the floor and joists in
    	  a few years), this sounds like the best solution to keep the floor
    	  from rotting out.
    
    	So, am I being too paranoid about rot?  And what's the right thing
    to do, considering that we'd like the floor to be there as long
    as the rest of the house is?  Any other suggestions?
    
    	Thanks!
    
    							- Rich

T.R	Title	User	Personal Name	Date	Lines
146.1	Try bigger vents first	BEING::WEISS	Forty-Two	`Thu May 01 1986 19:58`	13
	I don't really think it will do much good to coat the walls, either inside or out. I would think that the vast majority of the moisture is coming up through the dirt floor. Given that, I think your best bet would be to lay down the plastic, although I'm not sure why you want to raise the dirt level before you do that. Unless the seasonal high water table is actually above the ground line in the basement, I don't think the actual level makes any difference, so long as the air in the basement is isolated from the dirt by the plastic. I'd also install bigger vents, and I'd do that first and see how much that helps. That might just be enough to make the difference, and then you wouldn't have to cut a hole in the floor. Paul
146.2	another vote for ventilation	WEBSTR::GIOIELLI		`Mon May 05 1986 13:07`	14
	I have a similar set up with the addition we just completed. However, mine is just a crawl space. There are vents on opposite ends of the foundation which allows for cross ventilation, which is extremely important. I covered the floor with 6 mil black plastic and this seems to be working well. So far the addition has been up for about 2 years. I check it from time to time, but there are no problems with moisture buildup. As was suggested in .1, you may want to consider improving the air circulation under the addition before getting involved in anything major. good luck.
146.3	Thanks!...and one more question...	VERDI::LEWIS		`Wed May 07 1986 15:41`	7
	Re: .both Thanks for the advice. I'll definitely try improving the ventilation first. Does anyone know if there's any kind of wooden louvered vents made for this purpose, or am I stuck using the aluminum stuff? - Rich
146.4		AUTHOR::WELLCOME		`Fri May 09 1986 11:50`	9
	You can probably get wood gable louvers at a decent lumberyard; whether they would be adaptable to the application you have is another question. I think I'd also go for putting down plastic and improving the ventilation before worrying about filling anything in; try the easy solutions first. Steve
146.5	How to get in via crawl space vents??	DAVE::MITTON	Token rings happen	`Thu Jul 30 1992 22:18`	13
	I want to get into the crawl space under the family room of my new house, to inspect it and possibly string some wires. Only problem, I don't understand how to get in! It is ventilated on the sides with these steel/aluminum vents in the foundation wall. I cannot figure out how to open them for access. This room is sandwiched between the main house (basement) and garage (on slab) with no access there either. The room has wall-to-wall carpet, so as inspection for a hatch is not trivial either. ideas? Can those vents be opened? Dave.
146.6	trap door /	JURAN::HAWKE		`Fri Jul 31 1992 11:38`	7
	Sounds like my parents house... Are you sure there are no hidden trap doors anywhere this being a new house maybe you overlooked one. In my parents house there is a trap door for crawl space access in a corner of a closet it blends in well and is hard to pick out. Dean
146.7	hmmmm	DAVE::MITTON	Token rings happen	`Fri Jul 31 1992 13:31`	13
	re: .6 I'll look more carefully, but there are no closets in this room, nor any on adjoining walls. It must be under the w-w carpet somewhere. It seems like the previous owner got in there at least once, as there is an electrical outlet in the middle of the floor, (yup, through the carpet!) where he used to park a projection TV. I don't think that was original. Currently the foundation vents are completely closed. I don't know to open them, or how far until I see the state of the inside. Dave.