Keeping your crawl space free of moisture is one of the most important things that you can do for your home. It is a great way to prevent mold growth and damage to the infrastructure of your house which means choosing a good moisture barrier. There are three questions that you should be asking however before you install crawl space moisture barrier material.
6-Mil Poly: Is it Going to Work for You?
Most people will install six mil poly in their crawl space and it meets the code. The problem is that it doesn’t really fill the entire crawl space. You also have to consider that the material is consumer recycled which sounds great at first, but these recycled poly plastics do not last quite as long as other materials. Over time it can weaken and become brittle, ultimately making you wish that you had spent a little bit more money on a quality liner in the first place.
Do You Need String Reinforced Material?
As a homeowner, the word reinforced is going to appeal to you when you are in the market for materials for your home. Crawl space material with reinforcing string sounds appealing but what does it do? The idea for a moisture barrier is to make sure that the water does not penetrate and if you think about it, string laid out in a grid isn’t going to stop the water. Instead, you should focus on a moisture barrier that doesn’t rip in the first place as this will help you to achieve your ultimate goal.
How Thick Should you Go?
A common misconception in moisture barriers is that thicker is ultimately better and while that might have been true in the past, it just isn’t anymore. New technologies have been developed – technologies that allow for the manufacturing of better materials that will perform well even if they are thinner.
If you want to get the job done right then, you need to know how a moisture barrier works and most importantly, how you can go about choosing the right one. You have a lot of work ahead of you but once you have your barrier installed your crawlspace will be protected for many years to come. Ultimately, you will be glad that you put a little extra work in and that you spent a little bit of extra money.
