Why Your Crawl Space Needs a Vapor Barrier for Dehumidifiers

Can you really install a dehumidifier in your crawl space without a vapor barrier? Join us as we sit down with Michael Church from Crawl Space Ninja, who sheds light on this common DIY question and busts some major myths. Michael dives deep into the nitty-gritty of crawl space maintenance, emphasizing the significance of a well-encapsulated vapor barrier. Whether you're a hands-on DIY enthusiast, trying to save a buck, or just wary of contractors, this episode promises practical, actionable advice that will keep your home in top shape.

Check out Michael's book, "Crawl Space Repair Myths-Busted" now available on Amazon!

Need help: https://crawlspaceninja.com or https://diy.crawlspaceninja.com

Michael walks us through the essential steps for ensuring your crawl space remains dry and compliant with building codes. Listen to his expert take on why sealing vents and correctly installing a vapor barrier can make or break your dehumidifier's efficiency. He also warns of the pitfalls of skipping this crucial step, from overworked appliances to potential code violations that could affect your future home sales. With real-world examples and professional insights, Michael's guidance is indispensable for any homeowner looking to maintain their crawl space effectively.

Transcript

Speaker 0: 0:00

Hey, michael Church, crawl Space Ninja. We're continuing our Crawl Space Misconception series and this topic is going to be can I install a dehumidifier in my crawl space and not install a vapor barrier? So this is an interesting topic and a lot of times this comes up in the DIY side of our chats and different things like that, because either you're limited by budget, you don't trust the contractor to do a good job, so you're doing the project yourself, or you just enjoy DIY and we get the question of can I just install an Aprilaire E70 or an E80 or an E100 in the crawl space and not have to deal with the vapor barrier? Now, some of you may already have a loose-lay vapor barrier installed, because that's what the builder did whenever they built your home, and some people don't have a vapor barrier at all because maybe you had a water leak down there or a sewage leak and they removed that as part of the remediation process. I would encourage you that, if you have no vapor barrier at all and you're dehumidifying your crawl space, that you install a properly encapsulated vapor barrier. Now what that means is up the walls at least 12 inches, mechanically attached, overlapped and taped and all that sort of thing. If you're interested, we've got a lot of videos about properly installing vapor barrier. But what that is going to do is it's going to get you within code.

Speaker 0: 1:21

Remember, if you install a dehumidifier and seal the vents, code is different than if you leave your vents open when it comes to the plastic that's installed in the crawl space. So if you had your home built, you had an open, vented crawl space. You're allowed to throw down loose-laid vapor barrier as soon as we go in. A company like us goes in and seals those vents, and it doesn't matter if we install a dehumidifier or not. As soon as we seal the vents, the vapor barrier, the loose light vapor barrier, is out of code. What we encourage you to do, if you are planning to install a dehumidifier, plan to encapsulate the crawl space with a good vapor barrier, because that is going to keep that moisture in the ground at bay so that the dehumidifier can cycle on and off properly.

Speaker 0: 2:08

Without that vapor barrier, the dehumidifier is trying to dry the ground as well as trying to dry your wood, and the ground is typically more wet than your wood, so the wood is never going to dry out, except maybe in the winter. Eventually, the dehumidifier will never turn off if you don't install the vapor barrier properly. If you don't install an encapsulated vapor barrier, you're out of code. If you're in one of these code districts, that's real picky when you go to sell your house. That could be important. Now, if you live out in certain parts of Tennessee where they don't care about code, not really a big deal. The other thing is it's going to allow that dehumidifier to cycle on and off properly and it's not going to run it to death. It's going to live longer with that plastic installed. Michael Church Crawl Space Ninja. Hope you make it a happy and blessed day. See you later.