Crawl space -- dampness issue (dehumidifier, smell, room, basement)

[TabbyCats]

Okay, my "inadequate" support beam problem has been rectified, so now to my other issue......the dampness in the crawl space. The crawl space is only about 25' by 30' (the rest is bone dry basement).

These issues were discovered during a home inspection.

Water got in last spring and again this spring (our 5th wettest on record) from an unnoticed broken downspout underground drain. That has been fixed, so hopefully there will be no future water problem.

Now to the current leftover dampness. I've removed the icky, and ill-covering old plastic sheeting and placed fans in the crawl to circulate air. I'm using 6 DampRid "hanger thingies" to absorb some moisture. The soil is damp but not quite muddy.

When should I replace the 6 mil plastic? Let it dry out a bit longer? Can it ever dry out in a humid summer environment, etc.? Will covering the earth with plastic just hold in the moisture and keep it from drying out? Or, will doing a really good job of sealing off the dirt keep it from seeming moist (damp earth smell)?

I really need to "finish" this by next week. We are moving and new owners will be in another week later.

Thanks SO MUCH for any ideas, hints, suggestions..... Trying to do this alone with hubby already at his new work location is definitely stressful, but I've become well-acquainted with our previous mysterious crawl space

Tabby

[M3 Mitch]

Remind us where you are physically. Sounds like part of the damp, sunny South.

Offhand I would say if you are blowing air through the crawl space you are doing about all you can.

[harry chickpea]

Lay the plastic now. Keep the damp rid in place (with the buckets beneath that are regularly emptied). Time to stop the fans, as the humidity is about to go up and you'll be working against yourself. Soil is going to stay damp. No big deal.

[TabbyCats]

I'm in central IL. Fifth wettest spring so far, just my luck We don't have southern humidity, but it's still there.

Okay, so damp soil is okay? Cuz I don't see how it'd ever get bone dry again, at least starting the summer season. I'm just afraid the new owners won't be so understanding (that it's no big deal). If we were staying here, I wouldn't be worried now that we discovered the downspout issue.

Thanks,

[Barking Spider]

Soil under plastic will probably never get dry. That's why the plastic is used. Make sure the plastic covers everything well, all the way to the edges and overlap at the seams. The point of the plastic is to keep the ground moisture from condensing on the wood framing.

[Alaskan Mutt]

If it is not humid I would keep the fans going. Rather than just moving the air around, perhaps put the fans at one end where they are pulling the air out of the crawl space and let fresh air enter from the other end.

[sgresident]

get a dehumidifier! they work wonders. we use one in our basement. I don't have experience with a crawl space, but I think it should work.

[TabbyCats]

Since I don't have much more time to work on it, I guess the fans will stay another day or two until I have time (and maybe can find some help) to get back in there and lay down the plastic. Thank goodness it's not a large space.

The fans are blowing from the direction of the crawl entrance towards the outside vents.

I do have a basement dehumidifier, and it's in the little room where the entrance to the crawl is. I've been leaving the crawl door open hoping the dehumidifier is also pulling air from there (while closing the door to the rest of the basement).

Thanks,

[Alaskan Mutt]

You might want to try placing the fans right next to the vents blowing out. If they are just down in the crawl space they are probably just moving the air around rather than replacing it.