I recently remodeled a north-facing room in upstate NY and added insulation to the floors, with plastic sheeting stapled to the joists. We accessed the unvented dirt floor crawlspace through an opening in the floor, which we've since covered with click lock vinyl plank flooring. To remove the plastic, we'd either have to take off the baseboard and flooring or cut a hole in the block wall. How serious is this situation? Given that there are multiple layers like subfloor, asbestos tile, and pre-backed vinyl, am I looking at a potential mold or moisture problem?
2 Answers
You could simply add a vent to each end of your house to address the moisture issue in the crawlspace. This should help prevent build-up on the warm side of the plastic, which can help keep your floor joists safe from rot. Really an easy fix!
Just wanted to add—make sure when you vent that crawlspace, it’s properly done. Too much ventilation can also lead to cool air entering, which might cause other condensation issues. So, you want to balance it out.