Toughest vapor barrier for floor of crawl space?
Debra_Ann
| Posted in General Questions on
We’re building a new house, and plan to create a sealed conditioned crawl space. We want to be able to access the space regularly, to inspect for leaks and store a few items. Which vapor barrier would be better able to hold up to regular traffic? We’ll probably put a layer of coarse sand underneath it. Unfortunately, a concrete rat slab is out of our budget.
GBA Detail Library
A collection of one thousand construction details organized by climate and house part
Search and download construction details
Replies
Debra,
Your last sentence stole my solution. I was going to write, "The toughest vapor barrier for a crawl space floor is a concrete slab over 6 mil poly."
If you are installing polyethylene, most builders are pleased with Tu-Tuf (a product manufactured by Sto-Cote). Here are some links:
http://www.energyconscious.com/sto-cote-tu-tuf-4-9-x-100-vapor-barrier-white.html
http://www.positive-energy.com/product/tu-tuff-4-vapor-barrier-white/
If you want to pay more for a thicker product, buy pond liner material or EPDM roofing. These can be pricey, though.
Once the vapor barrier is installed, you can protect it with sheets of OSB in traffic areas.
Thanks, Martin!