Memorial Day weekend marks the unofficial start of Arkansas's brutal humidity season. If your crawl space doesn't have proper vapor barrier protection, you're about to find out the hard way.
Crawl spaces without 6-mil poly vapor barriers become swamps by June. Ground moisture rises through concrete and dirt floors, creating 80%+ humidity levels that rot floor joists, breed mold, and make your HVAC system work overtime.
The IRC requires vapor barriers in crawl spaces (Section R408.2), but we see plenty of Jonesboro-area homes built without them or with torn, inadequate coverage. A proper installation means 6-mil polyethylene sheeting covering 100% of the ground, sealed at all seams with tape or caulk, and extending 6 inches up foundation walls.
Cost? About $1.50 per square foot for materials and labor. Compare that to replacing rotted floor joists at $15-25 per square foot, or dealing with mold remediation that starts around $3,000.
Smart builders handle this during construction. Homeowners can retrofit, but it's crawl-space work in 90-degree weather if you wait until summer. May weather makes the job tolerable.
We installed vapor barriers in three Trumann crawl spaces last week. Each homeowner reported immediate improvements in upstairs comfort and lower humidity readings within days.
Reply or DM us for a free crawl space assessment before the humidity hits.