How To Partially Encapsulate a Crawlspace | Lowe’s Pro How-To
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- Опубликовано: 26 июн 2024
- In this Lowe's Pro How-To, learn the step by step process for how to partially encapsulate a crawlspace. For detailed written instructions: bit.ly/2z9Q1QU
This demonstration is intended for professionals only. Homeowners should not attempt these projects without first consulting a licensed professional.
Shop the tools and materials used in this video:
Moisture Meter - bit.ly/2OAIJ37
Spray Foam Insulation - bit.ly/2Ozkh1O
Tyvek Protective Coveralls - bit.ly/2Oz3sEs
Project Respirator - bit.ly/2OA6ecC
Fungicide - bit.ly/2OAN7Pv
Condensate Pump - bit.ly/2OPCCrV
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I see a lot of the pros chiming in on this diy stuff and I do agree if a homeowner can afford your prices then by all means hire a pro to do all of this work , bottom line y'all's prices are just too damn high for us homeowners. Most people can't afford 15 to 30k to repair a bad crawl space. I do understand that this is very labor intensive, but there is a whole helluva lot of mark-up in the materials too, so please forgive us diy'ers for trying to save some money !
I was quoted $10,000 for a 1,900 sq ft crawlspace.
@@tartgreenapple Company in my area quoted me on: digging 15 footers and using adjustable floor jacks with steel drop girders to level up the floor joist, install interior french drain with sump pump, install dehumidifier, new insulation on outer brick wall in the crawl space and wrap everything in 20mil plastic for $27k and my crawl space is only 1125sq ft. Market price for my home is between $130 to $160.
Contractors that specialize in crawl space repairs are making a damn fortune off of fans and plastic!!
Sometimes you have to work your way into a partnership or friendship with people like this, I remember working for someone doing this, he would have me remove all the old insulation and go to every joist and beam and scrub it all down before he goes in to spray, treat and seal, I’d be payed a day rate of about 500 and I would get most average 1800-2200sqft spaces done in under 4/5 hours (and done right, he would look for skipped corners by me) but thanks to that he helped me out a ton when it came to me needing my
Personal crawl space done
@@TrepedatiousTrex I guess that would be one way of doing it but in my particular case I'm gonna need some floor joist replaced, a band seal and a lot of sub floor. Sadly its too late for me I'm gonna have to spend about 20 to 30k to fix a 1100sq foot crawl space. Sucks to be me!
Agree with Bossman. I have 4' crawl space with good ventilation so have no issues but am going to pull out the loose vapor barrier, clean up the debris and lay down 6mil poly on about 2400 sq. ft. Cost will be less than $200 and a weekend of my time. I'm sure someone would quote me $10,000 to fully encapsulate and "do it right".
Good tip on ducting the dehu to the tightest area of the crawl to create a convective current. I'll be doing that as I complete my project soon :)
I've been in the encapsulation business for years. DO NOT tape any poly / liner to concrete piers or concrete foundation walls. It will not stick over time and will shortly fall off. You are better off using concrete anchors every 3-5 feet on the top edge and then sealing with a 2" double sided butyl tape, a polyurethane caulking, or spray foam. The anchors will keep the top edge permanently up and your sealing method will keep it air tight. Also please be aware that fogging your crawlspace will cause a lot of that product to go upstairs as your HVAC duct work, subflooring, plumbing penetrations, electrical penetrations all allow air from the crawlspace to go upstairs. Also you should cover as much of the foundation walls as possible and support columns. Concrete wicks moisture and to go up only 4 inches on the wall allows for evaporation off that concrete. Just leave at least 4 inches of foundation wall exposed at the top to make the termite companies happy for inspection purposes. If the homeowner doesn't care about a termite inspection gap at the top then just seal up the entire wall to maximize mitigation of evaporation which high humidity causes mold and fugal growth.
Also this is not a DIY project, hire a pro
Hey Jason, you're right the tape won't stand the test of time! Have you ever used caulking before? If so, any specific type you used?
Why is this considered a partial encapsulation? What would be a complete one?
The white sheet material all the way up the sides.
@@bobbyscongackmusic He doesn't know. Anybody that says put up "concrete anchors" first THEN double sided butyl tape is a hack.
I'm using true 10 mil poly on floor and sides and foam boards for the stupid vents that do nothing but let moist air in!
Just keeping the batted insulation in ceiling as is.
Should work very well!
Pretty informative! I am going with Ventilation Fan with keeping other vents open during non-winter times first, if it doesn't work I am going to use a humidifier. I have a meter and already brought the wood moisture to 15% in North Carolina!
I am in NC as well. What is an acceptable wood moisture level ? And why measure wood moisture compared to say, just overall crawl space moisture?
As a termite professional, I recommend anyone should check with the company that has your termite bond before ever using spray foam.
;
Why? Elaborate please…
Termites love to make homes out of spray foam
So as a termite specialist you recommend paying a termite specialist before doing anything? Got it.
PROBABLY because the foams can hide termite & other WDO activity. Also, some foams trap moisture & create suitable conditions for termites & other WDOs (along with mold, rot, etc).
You have to hire right people and that is hardest part, this guys in the video, they are amateurs. Why would you spray foam insulation in the crawl space? Even you want to spray it, they should of removed the insulation before they spray it. The reason why you don't want to spray foam it is b/c it will trap a moisture. At 4.17 mark, you could see the mold present on the wood. Before you hire anybody, educate your self so that you know who to hire
Insulation is better on the OUTSIDE. On the inside it can trap moisture in the wood. The foundation wicks water up onto the wood so the spray foam creates a vapor barrier sealing it inside.
Having done this for almost 20 years, I agree with fogging the crawlspace 100%. I've used RMR-86 and it takes a piece of lumber that is totally black to looking brand new. The house I was working on was vacant. It is very "bleachy". I can't see using RMR-86 except on homes with a few bad spots. If there's more than that, it will need soda blasting. (In my opinion) but if they want some tremendous amount for soda blasting, I'll use 2.5 gallons of the RMR with my electric sprayer and let the odor go away. I did a very black piece of plywood in 2017. I'd love to see it today, but the homeowner is somewhat hostile. I did the job for the seller and the home was vacant. We did one heck of a job, really. Just starting out making a name for ourselves, etc. well, the new homeowners called and said they had to send a plumber into the crawlspace and the dehumidifier wasn't working. Wasn't working? Someone (and I think I know who) caused the leak and turned over our dehumidifier , ruining it. While I was installing a free dehumidifier, the wife walks down and says, don't bump that wire down there. I had to pay $175 to fix that wire after you guys did your work. It was a rusted, 75 year old, 220 volt wire that had exposed copper. We saw it on day one and made damn sure we didn't "bump" it. We put a bicycle rope lock on this one and they'll never see us again, no matter what. Unless it's in court. I made videos. The person we did the work for and the real estate agent were delighted, it passed a VA LOAN inspection and they're tough. Rambling !!!
So you helped hide a house with mold issues for the owner could make a sell.
Hellwithpots that was your takeaway? We didn't hide anything and obviously, you've never been through a VA loan inspection, but troll on. Clients are backed up to mid-January. Get out and move around some.
How can I learn more about crawl space? I'm a diy person.. but crawl space seems out of my reach..
Can't be harder then rebuilding an automatic transmission. 🤔 Did one on my first try. 😁
@@dnegel9546 crawl space ninja on youtube
Us termite professionals cringing hard at the mention of spray foam directly on wood members. Good luck getting a thorough WDIR.
I've been researching my crawl space and learning for 3 years. Foundation and crawl space contractors are opportunists. They're also without shame, taking advantage of consumers and charging exorbitant amounts of money to consumers. It's wrong & they know it, but at an average of $10,000 for 1000 sq ft crawl space, and basic menial labor which is not complicated work. Just a bit intimidating until you get used to your crawl space. I recommend fully lighting up your crawl space first, before you commence any work. Working in darkness, with a single little light is a whole different ballgame & intimidating and difficult, versus working in bright lights. The work is easier, you can navigate and see well, and it feels welcoming! After all is said and done, you will spend a fraction of what the opportunistic crawl space contractors would charge you.
There is massive markup with the materials by contractors & their labor rates are abhorrent. So I've learned plenty. You just have to compartmentalize the project in phases. I've got three phases.
Phase I: Repair any structural weaknesses in posts, beams, etc. And clean up crawl space of debris.
Phase II: Install French Drains, for more efficient drainage. Install sump pump, and 15 Gal. sump pump basin and connect sump pump to outdoor drainage system.
Phase III: Remove old torn up and tattered vapor barrier. Grade out flat, the extra dirt that was dug up for the French drains in the crawl space soil area. Install new vapor barrier.
Materials & Planning. Prior to installing the new vapor barrier, you'll need 10 or 12 mm thick one piece Vapor barrier. Draw up with schematics, and then properly pre-cut the Vapor Barrier prior to going down into the crawl space for each section. Have on hand more material than you think you will need. That would include 4 inch wide seam tape, butyl tape for adhering the plastic to the concrete wall surfaces and plenty of vapor barrier to overlap 6 to 12 inches. In addition to that for phase 2, you will need the right amount of linear feet of perforated 3 inch or 4 inch pipe for the French drains. For a 1000 sq ft. crawl space you'll need 2 to 2.5 yd of rock. Smooth, round 3/4 River Rock will work well for a French drain in a crawl space. Get a utility sled, so you can slide the heavier rock down the crawl space lengths, so you can transport the heavier objects to and from where you need to go. You'll need short Trench shovels, short rakes and plenty of patience. Wear a mask, get some really high quality knee pads, and coveralls so you don't get too filthy. Pace yourself. Take your time and enjoy the process. Plan, plan, plan, and plan some more. Make a bullet list. Draw up detailed schematics. And give yourself a pat on the back for becoming a very competent homeowner.
It's nice to work with someone else too because this is a difficult job underneath your home. You can vet five or six different contractors and pick one that's very reasonably priced, trustworthy, good follow up, punctual, and honest, anywhere from $30 to $50 an hour to help you with the heavy heavy work. That is, a general contractor that Do Not specialize in crawl spaces or foundation work. You can find ones that will work with you, for a reasonable price and then you'll have a second person to help you do the job just steer clear from foundation and crawl space contractors, they charged exorbitant amounts of money that are unfair to the consumer and not ethical.
Lowe's video on crawl space.
I’ve seen both and now I’m confused to which it should be. Should I put my vapor barrier on top of my rigid insulation on the walls or behind?? I’d be kind of concerned of putting the rigid insulation behind the vapor barrier because I don’t want soil vapor to have access to the rigid insulation and eventually keep wicking up through even though it’s high density XPS and so won’t absorb much I just don’t want it to be able to absorb any
Loving the Chin Diaper!!!!
i didnt know jeff watched videos on "how tos"lol great to see you in this comment section sir! Salute! @homerenovisionDIY
For the pump part in winter whats the solution
Will the plastic used under the foundation dry up crack into pcs . And get poke pcs of plastic all over.. i thought the vent dry out the moisture
Lowe’s: “install a GFCI in the crawl space.”
Also Lowe’s: *installs regular outlet*
🤣🤣🤣
Lowe’s will be Lowe’s
As funny as it is to dog on Blowes, electrical code requires GFCIs to be "readily accessible", and most crawlspaces do not meet that requirement. This video they had GFCI protection provided at the panel, protecting a standard receptacle which is how I would prefer it to be done. Next best solution is to install either a GFCI receptacle or GFCI deadfront on the entrance to the crawl space and load side out from there.
In the video they show that the outlet is wired to a GFCI breaker, so therefore the outlet is protected, and is easily reset as well.
Is it possible to place supports and plywood to make the crawl space a useful storage area?
Don't allow any wood to touch the surface (sand, vapor barrier, etc) as this will pick up moisture and attract termites. I store wood in my crawlspace but have it on pvc pipes or bricks.
We set up a dehumidifier for the spring, summer, and fall.
By the way, you don't want to seal all your crawl space vent b/c of radon gas. You need to install one crawl space ventilation fan and close other vent. The reason why you want to close all the vent except one is b/c you don't want to bring in humid air from the outside and dehumidifier don't have to work too hard. If you have mold problem in crawl space, you need to take of where the moisture is coming from, if you don't address this, other stuff you do is waste of time and money
I don't get it. Won't leaving 1 open bring humid air from outside in?
@@dnegel9546 I think you make the one fan blow air from the crawl space OUT, so it's not bringing moisture in. They have fans that kick on when the moisture levels get above a certain level you set.
If you are encapsulating your basement the radon gas cannot get through the vapor barrier on the ground. Isnt that the whole point of vapor barriers/ moisture barriers?
Don't seal because of Radon? That sound counter-intuitive to me. Won't sealing keep most or all of the Radon out?
You're right! I don't recall any mention of the exhaust fan(s). I have one.
Some pros suggest to lower humidity of the space and in the wood before mold remediation.
1:31 "Lowes made this GFX possible to exist in this world"! Hilarious.
No radon test??
Definitely go through a local insulation company! I’ve done way to many jobs where homeowners do really crappy jobs and it almost 90% of the time we get the call to fix it after they “tried” witch makes it more difficult for us.
readme info yup; gonna try it out myself firsr lol.
What exactly do they mess up at?
They don’t start
Is there a way to not use a dehumidifier? I had 50% moisture reading on the wood in my crawl space. I don't have $10,000 or whatever it will cost for encapsulation and machinery. Can I use Thompson's water seal on the wood and concrete sealer on the walls?
OMG! 50% moisture ?? I guess my reading of 18% isn't worth losing sleep over. Still: I'm not spending $11K to remediate this 1100 s.f. shack. I'm leaving it be for now.
I see some decent used dehumidifiers for under $400. Wiring it is another story.
If you close the space I think you’ll need the dehumidifier otherwise it may be a mold heaven.
I don't get it; where's the insulation?
not supposed to cover band joist.. all wood structure should be open to inspect
It looks like they are applying the spray foam before removing the mold.
This is for Lowe's Pros|? most showed no masks being used and poor technique looked more like DIYers
Total lack of proper PPE. OSHA, what OSHA?
At 4:00 no gloves or protective suit and foam getting on his hands
I just cleaned 60 years worth of junk, out my crawlspace last weekend. Now it's down to the dirt I will put down poison in the dirt and cover it with 6 mill plastic, and next spring I will get a contractor in there to put concrete on the floor
6 mil is just essentially a trash bag. Use at least 16 mil if possible.
couldn't find 16 mil, so 6 mil was the best I could do. @@Smellydoug
3 mil is a trash bag @@Smellydoug
How does a dehumidifier work draining water when its 40 below zero!
You really think that moisture is hanging out in the air when it’s that cold?
It would only work in warm months.
Step 1 . Sell the house and move
or step 1 hire the professional......
Oh god this type of job is seriously tedious, hard and super labor intensive. Its like going to some marine boot camp with all that crawling and be covered with crap. I bet in fixing any "major" crawlspace issues will never be a 100% a problem solver down the road and the "repair" bill will cost as much as buying another home. I have seen a "patented" system where the crawlspace company literally lifts the whole freaking house like 1 story high in an affordable manner so that the working condition will never be like some kind of military boot camp training during the repairing process. All in all, never buy a house with a 3 foot "crawlspace, get a house that has at least 8 foot crawlspace (A.K.A a basement). If anyone has a "major" crawlspace problems, it would be more "logical" to actually dig out the the crawl space and make a basement and aid in the repairs, the budget will be more expensive, but now the advantage is that your house's market value has increased due to having converting a "crawlspace" into a "basement", you basically killed 3 birds with one shot. Fixed the crawlspace issue, created a large basement headroom and also boosted your home's market value. I feel it's insanely pathetic to just fix the "crawlspace" alone so that 10 years later you're gunna need to repeat the process again. Having a basement can allow homeowners to easily repair any issues underneath the house. "Crawlspace repairs do indeed need a professional".
Remember: when you hire a pro in the US, for every $10 you pay them, $5 of it is for them to send to the government. If you can do a DIY job so well that someone buying your house can’t tell it wasn’t done by a pro, you are saving yourself a ton of money. Basements are low-hanging fruit-DIY this all the way.
street fighter music in the BG? lol
Makes way more sense to install the dehumidifier BEFORE laying the moisture barrier on the floor so that you don't puncture the barrier.
I feel bad for the property owner of this house because this job is total shit lol
What do you mean?
I agree it's shit also. 4 inches from top should be only shown not from bottom . Also acoustic sealant should be used at every taped section. Concrete ancors should also be placed Around any concrete piles and structural supports.. also a subpump and weeping tile should be properly placed .
Watch at 2x. Avoid slow talkers
@@spookypizza4371 I don't fux with that.
2:38 Nice mask.
pobre hombre sin mascara
Wear a crawlsuit
Jesus, the amount of trash piled up outside the neighbors house.
$$$$$$$$$$$
Horrible from a Code perspective. Worst encap I have seen
This is dangerous info for the non-informed. There are a couple of useful cutting tips though.
This has to be the most disgusting informational video about "Encapsulate a Crawlspace" I have ever seen! Lowe's, I ask you kindly to remove this video, as this will not help ANYONE with what you have shown.
ALSO LOWE'S @ 1:48 per NEC code that receptacle is NOT GFCI!
Since 1971, the NEC has expanded the requirements for ground-fault circuit interrupters (GFCI) to protect anyone who plugs into an electrical system. Initially, it was only required for temporary wiring at construction sites and in dwelling unit bathrooms, but in recent years the Code requirements for GFCI protection have expanded to include many other areas, including commercial occupancies, fountains and swimming pools, and temporary installations, to name a few. (For a complete list of 2002 NEC references, see the sidebar below)
What about crawl spaces and unfinished areas of the basement? Once again, all 15A and 20A, 125V receptacles installed within a dwelling unit crawl space [210.8(4)] or in each unfinished portion of a basement not intended as a habitable room but used for storage or as a work area [210.8(5)], must be GFCI-protected. However, the Code does note a few exceptions to these rules: GFCI protection is not required for receptacles that are not readily accessible or are located on a dedicated branch circuit and identified for a specific cord-and-plug-connected appliance, such as a sump pump.
Though the video is not great, there is plenty of good info here. And yeah, receptacle is GFCI. Check 2:09 bro and chill.
@@yourchannelhasnocontent8536 Yes sir/mam; you are correct. My apologies.
@@tsadkiel2008 I didn’t notice the breaker panel GFCI my first viewing either. BUT the outlet wasn’t properly labeled ‘GFCI PROTECTED OUTLET’ either, which is also a code violation.
@@edbouhl3100 Indeed you are correct sir! Thank you for your reply.
Spray foam is the WORST for insulating a Crawlspace. That info is completely wrong. If you have high moisture in a Crawlspace and can’t afford to do an encap, spray foam will trap moisture and rot your wood extremely fast. Even when doing an encapsulation, you shouldn’t spray foam in a Crawlspace.
FOR PROFESSIONALS "ONLY"
SHOULD NOT HAVE POSTED ON RUclips!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Pretty sad you guys posted a video of a young man breathing in fungus, mold, who knows what else while failing to protect the young man properly by equipping him with proper ppe
You never cover a crawl space with 100% ,,,,,,only about 90% will do. The crawl space needs to have some breathing space......So only about 90% coverage!!!!!
Nonsense. You shouldn't post something like this without any information to back up what you're saying. Best to delete your post.
What’s the point of a moisture barrier if there are holes in it lol
Lol