As a new summer cottage owner, a first step in handling a certain "summer cottage smell" is to lay down building plastic in the crawl space.
After reading through several pages of information about building plastic in crawl spaces, there's one installation detail I don't quite understand.
It is now clear that the plastic should be laid all the way to the foundation wall and even a bit up on the foundation wall, BUT... is it intended that I should attach the plastic to the wall in such a way that moisture cannot rise between the wall and the plastic, or is it okay if it's not completely sealed?
I find different explanations that say:
- fasten with an external batten (sealed?)
- glue to the wall (sealed?)
- nail to the wall (not sealed)
- simply fold up against the wall (definitely not sealed)
What is the correct approach, and why?
Thank you very much in advance!
After reading through several pages of information about building plastic in crawl spaces, there's one installation detail I don't quite understand.
It is now clear that the plastic should be laid all the way to the foundation wall and even a bit up on the foundation wall, BUT... is it intended that I should attach the plastic to the wall in such a way that moisture cannot rise between the wall and the plastic, or is it okay if it's not completely sealed?
I find different explanations that say:
- fasten with an external batten (sealed?)
- glue to the wall (sealed?)
- nail to the wall (not sealed)
- simply fold up against the wall (definitely not sealed)
What is the correct approach, and why?
Thank you very much in advance!
It will hardly be airtight no matter what you do, so keep it simple instead. Roll out the plastic. Lay it partially up against the foundation wall and let the sheets overlap by 20-30 cm. Keep it in place with stones.
If there is macadam underneath (i.e., 16-32 or a similar coarse fraction), I would first lay down a textile cloth so the plastic handles crawling better.
Then, get two remote-read thermometers/hygrometers and measure the conditions down there.
If there is macadam underneath (i.e., 16-32 or a similar coarse fraction), I would first lay down a textile cloth so the plastic handles crawling better.
Then, get two remote-read thermometers/hygrometers and measure the conditions down there.
Anticimex did an inspection when we bought the summer house in May 2016 and we received a small remark that "Microbial growth or discolorations exist on the subfloor and elevated moisture levels". We have treated with some kind of recommended agent for the discolorations, and the elevated moisture levels were within permissible limits.Jonatan79 said:
Our first thought was that the musty cabin smell came from old textiles and plastic mats, but after removing almost all old textiles and also taking away all plastic mats, as well as wallpapering/painting almost all rooms, the smell remains.
However, I cannot say that I smell the same odor in the crawl space as indoors, but almost all articles I find on the internet about "cabin smell" are about conditions in the crawl space.
Thank you for your response!
There is sand on the ground in the crawl space, so I plan to lay the plastic directly on the ground.
In one corner of the crawl space, there are the outside walls of our pantry, and these are covered with insulation.
Should I let the plastic go all the way up on these insulated walls?
There is sand on the ground in the crawl space, so I plan to lay the plastic directly on the ground.
In one corner of the crawl space, there are the outside walls of our pantry, and these are covered with insulation.
Should I let the plastic go all the way up on these insulated walls?
Yuck, I'm allergic to anticimex "salespeople", just don't buy an expensive dehumidifier. What about the ventilation? I don't think the cabin smell comes from the crawl space but from poor ventilation for maaaany years.
The old man who sold the house smelled about the same as the cottage, so there might be something to what you wrote. 
The cottage is probably unfortunately not well ventilated, and as foolish as we are, we closed the vents before winter to avoid unnecessary heating. Doesn't feel so smart in hindsight.
This fall, we plan to buy a heat pump, and then maybe having fully open vents will be the way to go.
Is there anything we can do to actively ventilate the cottage to manage the smell?
The cottage is probably unfortunately not well ventilated, and as foolish as we are, we closed the vents before winter to avoid unnecessary heating. Doesn't feel so smart in hindsight.
This fall, we plan to buy a heat pump, and then maybe having fully open vents will be the way to go.
Is there anything we can do to actively ventilate the cottage to manage the smell?
If the smell is so clearly present in clothes, it might be a chemical odor from rot-protected wood.
But start by sealing as tightly as you want in the foundation.
Increase the ventilation in the house.
If that doesn't work, you can do an air analysis to get a better indication.
But start by sealing as tightly as you want in the foundation.
Increase the ventilation in the house.
If that doesn't work, you can do an air analysis to get a better indication.
Is there any inspector who doesn't advise putting plastic (and possibly capillary-breaking material) in the crawl space? The house we sold was completely bone dry and odorless in the foundation with dry and fresh wood that looked completely newly sawn. The buyers had an inspection and were advised to put plastic on the ground...
Hi.JSoderqvist said:
A tip is to attach the plastic both to the wall and overlapping with foam sealant. Both seals and fastens.
I have a torpargrund myself and am working on a project to improve the climate under the house to have a better indoor climate. I've used this blog as inspiration; http://fuktigtorpargrund.blogspot.se/?m=1
No, almost every inspector says so, which is absolutely correct since the probability is so high. Plastic on the ground is a cheap solution to improve the climate.
The inspector is usually there for a few hours and performs a visual inspection.
Humidity in the air and from the ground varies depending on the season. That's why a sensible inspector can't say that the foundation is problem-free with just one visit.
Personally, if I bought a house with a crawl space foundation, I would budget for and install an "expensive" dehumidifier combined with negative pressure.
Partly to know that the foundation will not become more humid. But also so that any particles/spores/emissions don't reach the living area.
But there are plenty of foundations that manage without anything. And there are those that never seem to get better...
The inspector is usually there for a few hours and performs a visual inspection.
Humidity in the air and from the ground varies depending on the season. That's why a sensible inspector can't say that the foundation is problem-free with just one visit.
Personally, if I bought a house with a crawl space foundation, I would budget for and install an "expensive" dehumidifier combined with negative pressure.
Partly to know that the foundation will not become more humid. But also so that any particles/spores/emissions don't reach the living area.
But there are plenty of foundations that manage without anything. And there are those that never seem to get better...
Thank you for all the input!
Very interesting to read through the blog that Castis recommended.
I will be putting plastic in the crawl space as planned, but also aiming to do something about the indoor ventilation since I don't notice the same smell in the crawl space as indoors. Hope this helps us in the right direction.
Very interesting to read through the blog that Castis recommended.
I will be putting plastic in the crawl space as planned, but also aiming to do something about the indoor ventilation since I don't notice the same smell in the crawl space as indoors. Hope this helps us in the right direction.