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re: Floor buckling and crawlspace moisture problem
Posted on 9/1/19 at 11:01 pm to glorymanutdtiger
Posted on 9/1/19 at 11:01 pm to glorymanutdtiger
One other thing to look at is to make sure your clothes dryer vents to the outside of your house rather than into your crawl space.
If your dryer vents under your house you are putting a whole lot of moisture under there.
Imagine weighing your wet clothes on a scale and then weighing them after they are dry. The difference in weight is the amount of water you are putting into your crawl space each time you dry a load of clothes.
I commonly see people keeping the internal temp of their house way below the dew point in the summer, built up or overgrown flower beds with or without irrigation systems around the perimeter of the house that allow water to collect under it, and improper venting.
Do not try to dig a drainage ditch from under your house, as ditches can flow two ways. A good system of french drains, and a sump pump can help you.
The LSU Ag report posted earlier is a good reference, but the interesting thing about that paper is they do not give a conclusive solution to the problems. Some folks have more problems after insulating, and insulating solves the problem for others.
The most conclusive thing in the report is that a house kept at 78 degrees or above during the summer had the lowest moisture readings in the flooring. It's all about the dew point in many cases. The average dew point in south Louisiana in the summer is 74 degrees. I recommend a temp of 72 degrees and ceiling fans to stay comfortable and closer to the dew point. Many homes with buckling floors are kept closer to 68 degrees in the summer.
Many times buckling floors are a combination of several factors, and not just one issue.
If your dryer vents under your house you are putting a whole lot of moisture under there.
Imagine weighing your wet clothes on a scale and then weighing them after they are dry. The difference in weight is the amount of water you are putting into your crawl space each time you dry a load of clothes.
I commonly see people keeping the internal temp of their house way below the dew point in the summer, built up or overgrown flower beds with or without irrigation systems around the perimeter of the house that allow water to collect under it, and improper venting.
Do not try to dig a drainage ditch from under your house, as ditches can flow two ways. A good system of french drains, and a sump pump can help you.
The LSU Ag report posted earlier is a good reference, but the interesting thing about that paper is they do not give a conclusive solution to the problems. Some folks have more problems after insulating, and insulating solves the problem for others.
The most conclusive thing in the report is that a house kept at 78 degrees or above during the summer had the lowest moisture readings in the flooring. It's all about the dew point in many cases. The average dew point in south Louisiana in the summer is 74 degrees. I recommend a temp of 72 degrees and ceiling fans to stay comfortable and closer to the dew point. Many homes with buckling floors are kept closer to 68 degrees in the summer.
Many times buckling floors are a combination of several factors, and not just one issue.
1
Posted on 9/2/19 at 9:18 am to glorymanutdtiger
moisture rises. You can rent an infared camera from home depot to look for a water leak or the high moisture areas.
Sounds like you need a sump pump underneath your home OR no moisture barrier was installed with the flooring.
Sounds like you need a sump pump underneath your home OR no moisture barrier was installed with the flooring.
Posted on 9/2/19 at 10:32 am to lsuwins3
How did you resolve yours?
Posted on 9/2/19 at 11:08 am to tonydtigr
quote:
tonydtigr
Very good explanation on the issue of indoor temperature, dew point, potential moisture issues. Paul LaGrange a building consultant who hosts the Home Improvement Show on WWL radio New Orleans frequently discusses this issue where many moisture/condensation (wood floors cupping HVAC condensation issues on ducts, supply registers) he sees in his job are often related to the “cold” temperatures (less than 70-72 F) that some home owners keep their indoor homes temperatures at in the hot, humid South.
Many good recommendations for the OP to resolve this issue by multiple posters in this thread.
This post was edited on 9/3/19 at 7:34 am
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