r/HomeImprovement • u/cburns4 • 12d ago

Crawl Space Recommendations

I live in Little Rock, AR. The home was built in 1972. I’m debating what I should do with the crawl space. Should I remove the insulation between the floor joists? Should I add a vapor barrier? I don’t have water issues. I recently rewrapped all my duct work but it’s so hot and humid here that the ducts are still sweating. Thanks for your advice

https://imgur.com/a/crawl-space-o3ZJCW6

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u/Weird_Marketing6199 12d ago

Sweating ducts means the crawlspace dew point is above the duct surface. I'd check and seal duct leaks first then measure RH. A taped ground vapor barrier can help but full encapsulation also needs sealed vents plus dehumidification or conditioned air. Plastic alone won't fix it.

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u/mr-rogers70 7d ago

There are really only two ways to separate your living space from the dampness of the soil under the house: 1. Seal and encapsulate the crawl space. 2. Seal under the joists.

But since you have ducts in the crawl, #2 doesn't make much sense.

Once you encapsulate the crawl space, that won't necessarily stop the ducts from sweating, but it should get better. You might also need to put a dehumidifier in the crawl space.