Your crawl space is basically a dirt-floored basement that nobody talks about. But come June, that exposed soil under your house starts pumping serious moisture into your home.
Here in Northeast Arkansas, our clay soil holds water like a sponge. Without a proper vapor barrier, you're looking at 10-15 gallons of water vapor per day seeping up through that dirt floor. That moisture finds your floor joists, your HVAC ducts, and eventually your living space.
The math is simple: higher humidity means your AC works harder. For every 10% increase in indoor humidity, your cooling costs jump about 15%. Plus, moisture-damaged subfloors and joists can cost $3,000-$8,000 to replace.
IRC code R408.2 requires vapor barriers in crawl spaces, but plenty of older homes in Jonesboro and Trumann never got them. A 6-mil polyethylene barrier sealed at the seams runs about $0.75 per square foot installed.
Best time to tackle this? Late spring, before the summer humidity really kicks in. The vapor barrier goes down first, then we can properly insulate your rim joists and band boards.
Got a musty smell coming through your floors? Feel like your AC never stops running? Your crawl space might be the culprit. Reply or DM us for a free crawl space assessment.