BEFORE THE ARCHITECT – HOME DESIGNING BACKGROUND – UNIQUE HOME DESIGNING ARTICLES
HOME BUILDING PROBLEMS - HOME UNVENTED
CRAWLSPACE AIR QUALITY
By Before The Architect Copyright 2003-2009 Before The Architect
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hOME BUILDING PROBLEMS - HOME UNVENTED CRAWLSPACE AIR QUALITY
Comment: Passive venting is a tougher and tougher issue with which to deal. Admittedly, this home designer has succumbed some to regard crawlspaces as interior to conditioned space, and these areas should be treated accordingly, that is, unless it’s nixed by your local fire inspector whose approval shall be explicitly requested and received before home designing is done for crawlspace air quality and whose disapproval or at least agita may arise from the derivative difficulties in regarding – reasonably or not – that an unvented crawlspace is a plenum)
 | An underlying theme to this
section of standards has been that while you cannot have too much
ventilation to abate temperature change and moisture, you can have too
little. |
| See Journal of Light Construction , “Building Sealed Crawlspace” by Jeff Tooley, October 2003, considering these amendments to that fine presentation: |
 | Apply high-density polyethylene (a/k/a HDPE) qualifying as Class A in most recent ASTM E-1745 (a/k/a American Society for Testing and Materials, “Standard Specification for Plastic Retarders Used in Contac t with Soil Or Granular Fill Under Concrete) in lieu of 6-mil polyethylene for both preliminary and final moisture and vapor membranes, for durability |
| Apply Schedule 40 pipe in lieu of corrugated flex, for durability |
| Pitch the floor even as little as 1/10 linear inch in 1 linear foot, for durability |
| If interior wall insulation is needed, apply Insul-Tarp in lieu of foam board, for durability |
| If lieu of final poly and in view of possible crawlspace storage function, apply a thin slab (a/k/a pony slab, scratch slab, etc.) |
Comment: In lieu of other ground cover a thin slab appears salutary to folks who itch where they cannot scratch for crawly critters.
Comment: We’re talking multiple drainage systems here. One system is to handle the exterior of the footing, one to handle the interior of the footing, and one to handle accidental spills to the surface of the unvented crawlspace.
Comment: SPECIFICATIONS FOR AN UNVENTED CRAWLSPACE ARE SUGGESTED ONLY, AND MUST BE THOROUGHLY REVIEWED, MODIFIED AS NEEDED, AND APPROVED BY OWNERS, BUILDING AUTHORITIES HAVING JURISDICTION, AND THE GENERAL CONTRACTOR BEFORE COMMENCING AN UNVENTED CRAWLSPACE. SPECIFICALLY IN THIS REGARD BUT NOT TO THE EXCLUSION OF OTHER MATTERS, IT SHOULD BE QUALIFIED THAT THE UNVENTED CRAWLSPACE IS NOT HEREWITH DEEMED A PLENUM, THOUGH OTHERS ARE ENTITLED TO THEIR OWN OPINION.
Comment: The distinction as to not being considered a plenum can be crucial, since the NEC (a/k/a National Electrical Code) makes wiring in plenums a real butt-buster. In fact, an unvented crawlspace can be regarded as a basement or similar, essentially a habitable or at least occupiable space was it not for the short clearance on the vertical.
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