Part 4: Crawlspace Depot DIY Installation

[@macman9689]

musta been nice to have so much head space

[@joenunya8283]

Thanks. I basically made my own BoraFoam with the Rmax 8500 which has a 15min thermal barrier of thick foil. I took boric acid powder and dusted the whole backside of the board prior to installation, I also dusted the cinder blocks and spread some on top of boards. I don't think the Butyl tape would have worked in my case as my walls are nowhere even close to flat so only a small section of tape would have made contact between the boards and the cinder blocks in many areas. Tapcons worked great.

[@breezeyou]

Glad you got the job done! We've also been getting great comments on this new product it's a Double Sided Butyl Tape. - Perfect for hanging Bora Foam which is a termite resistant insulation board. You can find it at our website under the Adhesive section.

[@nunyabizz50]

I can not see the need to use mechanical fasteners that might very likely weaken my foundation walls and necessitate either buying or renting a nailer to do it. Instead I have opted to use a spray adhesive that I ran across that at least claims to make a "permanent" bond between poly and cinder blocks, it is basically a rubber type contact cement. Spray on both surfaces wait about 1 minute then bond and it is instant. I also plan to spray it on the 1 foot overlaps to thoroughly bond the sheets.

[@electricaf365]

Lol

[@nunyabizz50]

@@electricaf365 still holding strong after almost 10 years, LOL

[@Jrr1976]

That French drain looks all wrong. You want a trench off the footing and just as low or lower.. plus they should put the peanuts under the pipe to..

[@scotttrujillo363]

Just a couple of questions. By removing the soil along the foundation you’ve just removed the chemicals applied for termite control and voided the Termite Contract, what do you do about that? 2) wouldn’t it be easier and more cost effective to seal the area in the foundation allowing water entry, in this case it looks like the main drain line is exiting through the wall right where you started the French drain.?

[@brucecampbell6133]

If the water problem stems from high water table or perched aquifer, sealing the outside or inside of the foundation won't prevent water from entering the crawl space; it will just move up through the soil in the crawl space. The internal french drain would be the easiest install and control but the sump pump discharge needs to be directed away from the house so that it cannot re-enter the crawlspace or re-charge the shallow aquifer.

[@andresguty]

Can somebody explain the comment on 10:24 please? What is what needs to be checked with the local codes before insulating those beams? Thanks

[@jimgorman9717]

Hi Andres, The code reference is to check what R-Value is needed on the wall of the crawlspace. You can find that information here: energycode.pnl.gov/EnergyCodeReqs/

[@christophergvozd7981]

Shouldn't the trench be lower than the foundation where the wTer is

[@johnp9369]

Blocking the vents?? Aren’t the vents there for a reason?? I open and close them Summer/Winter but never considered blocking completely. Couldn’t that cause mold in the Summer?

[@brianjessica8746]

The idea of encapsulation is to stop outside air...

[@JohnKerbaugh]

When sealing the foundation vents, a dehumidifier is added. Additional venting in and out can be required, for keeping the air safe.

[@nunyabizz50]

Just the opposite. The vents did nothing but bring in humid hot air. Before I encapsulated mine it was utterly disgusting, insulation hanging down soaking wet, could stand there and listen to it basically rain under there drip drip drip. I put a hole on the plenum on HVAC so I get ac/heat under there and its been as dry as any room in the house for 10 years now. The vents MUST be sealed up, they do exactly the opposite of what you've been told.

[@colinwilson4550]

So is that "loose lot" essentially just packing peanuts?

[@jonricker326]

Nope, packing peanuts are now water soluble they wouldn't work well in this situation.

[@ChrisD4335]

aren't sub pumps typically exited to your waist water pipe? seems a bit odd to me to just send it outside

[@jimgorman9717]

+ChrisD4335 You certainly can exit the sump pump into the water pipe and that is very common in basements. But the water is similar to rainwater run-off and in the case of this house it was easiest to drain directly outside the house next to the HVAC drains and gutter downspout. Great question! Thanks

[@timsmith8198]

Most cities won’t allow in the sanitary sewer system

[@brianjessica8746]

In many areas acessing your sewage line for this is a violation of code

[@BrianS-i4y]

Nice