[Deadonmike]

Just wanting to get some thoughts on pros/cons of crawl space design in new construction. I have seen the school of thought be on both ends of the spectrum when it comes to whether or not crawl space should be "encapsulated" or ventilated. it seems to me that most vapor barriers serve as pool liners and end up being compromised anyway by subs, pier cutouts, seams, perimeter leakage etc. I'm kickin around the idea of running plastic down into footing before i pour, assuming my termite guy doesnt flip out.

 

[Tinstaafl]

Try this article on for size:

http://www.buildingscience.com/docu...crawlspace-construction-performance-and-codes

 

[Deadonmike]

thanks tinstaafl. The article really confirmed my theory. I particularly love the idea of vent stacks in interior walls to provide return air to the crawlspace from the house. I have an small concern with the fact that i have to install flood vents in the foundation due to the flood zone we are building in.

 

[SLSTech]

Location matters - hint update your profile
Check into Smart Vent that has models for Sealed crawls & vented crawls
A properly done sealed crawl is really the best option when you start weighing all the pros & cons in 95+% of the cases, especially for new