I can go under and take more photos if needed.
Moisture under my house
by
Rubyruth
+5
I purchased this house almost a year ago. Under the house has gravel with plastic on top. Every time I go under there I see moisture on the underside of the plastic. The insulation seems to be pulling down in thread like pieces. I'm a single female senior and on a fixed income. If this situation is going to cause me a problem, I really need to head it off. Is this normal? What can I do?
The plastic is a good thing. It is the beginning of encapsulating the crawl space. Insulation that doesn't have paper on the outside will eventually do what yours is doing. If you want, you can have someone put plywood over the insulation.
also make sure you have a good gutter system and the grade around house takes water away from your foundation, I mean away not one foot or splashing right next to the foundation.
Thank you so much. Should the insulation be turned over, so the paper is down?
The paper is actually a barrier for water vapor and is always towards the heated space (inside of the house). I'm hesitant to put something up that is hard to remove if there is a water leak. I have helped install chicken wire and insulation supports (they were like wires that were made for insulation). Here is a video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1pC2XLzr1Po
First, if you think you have excessive moisture in your crawl space borrow or purchase a simple moisture meter. If the reading is less than 60% you do not have a problem. If there is no insulation on the plastic your not losing insulation. After the insulation was installed in time some small pieces dropped. For now do nothing, save the picture taken and date it 6 months to a year from that date take another picture and compare the two. If you see no change your good. I don't think you have a problem.
yes or the way they were installed they are not at the right slope get the water away from your house and you'll save your foundation and insulation.
If the moisture on the underside of the plastic shedding then the plastic barrier is doing its job. It place at the crawling space specifically to trap moisture and no allowing it to pass through to keep wood, insulation and everything else under the crawling space dry.