Moisture In Crawl Space Under House Unlevel Floors

Moisture barrier in the crawl space.

Moisture in crawl space under house unlevel floors.

Basically unlevel floors and doors can be caused by any combination of failing foundation inadequate structure an improperly designed home or a moisture damaged structure. A crawl space foundation features exterior concrete walls that elevate the bottom of the house 18 inches or higher above grade ground level providing an accessible area to reach plumbing and. During periods of prolonged drought add moisture to the soil. If you have a crawl space foundation which is common in the south a sagging floor often means you have a structural problem with your floor joists or beams.

Homeowners of crawlspaces know that they have one common problem sagging floors. Moisture creates a perfect environment for mold wood rot settling and more. If your foundation basement or crawl space doesn t have proper waterproofing you may start seeing these issues. Floors that are sagging or unlevel create many issues for homeowners including cracked tiles squeaky floors and bouncy or wavy floors.

With crawl space moisture the wood framing can compress under the heavy weight of the home. This can be done by utilizing soaker hoses. Just because you installed a vapor barrier doesn t mean that your work under the house is done. The cause is usually settling or shifting of the foundation underneath the floors.

If the floor beams and joists are made from wood like the ones above a crawl space they will usually bend rather than crack. Over time the dirt your house sits atop can compact causing the foundation to sink. This is done by placing a heavy plastic vapor barrier over the ground under the structure and extending it up along the perimeter walls. Sometimes that can start with uneven floors.

Wearing safety goggles and use a wire brush and a putty knife or paint scraper to clean the affected areas. Use the recommended number and type of fasteners when installing the planks to a wood subfloor. However wood and engineered wood floors can be used safety if a vapor barrier has been installed in the crawl space to prevent moisture from. Uneven floors are rarely caused by problems with the floor itself.

With the plastic in place you have a nice dry surface on which to work to remove efflorescence or mold that has propagated on wood framing. If the installation is over a crawl space make sure there s a moisture retarder in the crawl space and install an extra one if the existing one is in poor condition. If the crawl space has any moisture problems then wood products should not be used the moisture will make the flooring rot and cup especially around any crawl space access doors in the floor. Use the recommended fasteners.

Repairing a crawl space costs around 6 000 depending on the size and amount of structural damage.