Crawl Spaces Wood Floor

Extend downspout discharge lines a minimum of 5ft from the foundation wall.

Crawl spaces wood floor. I recently had a call asking whether a dehumidifier installed in a crawl space can over dry the crawl space and cause problems with a hardwood floor. In many older homes with crawl space foundations there will be solid wood floor joists that are supported at mid span by a wood girder. The girder is often made from several 2x joists that are nailed together. Installing a hardwood floor directly over a crawlspace exposes the wood to moisture from the ground and from the air in the crawlspace.

But before you get overly concerned about dehumidifying crawl spaces let me explain the realities. Keep bushes and shrubs ivy etc. Well pruned and manicured to a normal size so they don t block crawl space vent. Crawl space moisture and hardwood flooring crawl space moisture and hardwood flooringto understand the cause of wood floors cupping or buckling when you re sure there is no water damage due to a flood or leak you must understand the relationship between relative humidity your wood floor and your crawl space during the summer months in the northeast region wood subfloors and floor joists often measure 19 25 moisture content in a vented crawl space.

Keep below grade vent wells clear. In hot humid weather wood subflooring and floor joists can measure 25 30 moisture content in a typical vented crawl space. Even if you install a moisture barrier this moisture can. Solve all drainage and grading problems on the house.

In the same environment the wood flooring s moisture will measure 7 10 in the house or building.