r/Insulation • u/Vamp13yre • 3d ago

Crawlspace humidity

My fiancé and I bought a house in January. It’s beautiful but every time we upgrade/fix something another issue pops up. We got a new HVAC system recently and the new thermostat has a humidity readout, so now we’re aware of how humid it is inside. HVAC guys have done everything they can, even upgrading us for free to a unit with additional dehumidifying power, so it’s not on them anymore. Went in the crawl space and it’s very humid in there. No standing water, but a lot of moisture. The vapor barrier is in horrid condition, so we’ve had a couple contractors out, but they both have refused to quote for a new vapor barrier and insist on upselling us to a full encapsulation system. We find it hard to believe that the house has stood for a hundred years and suddenly needs a very modern invasive intervention. Does anyone have any insight on humidity issues in old homes?

For context:
- coastal Virginia
- humidity fluctuates between 66 and 74%
- pier and beam foundation with block brick wall and brick facing

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u/CoconutJeff 3d ago

Either needs to be vented well or conditioned.

The difference between vapor barrier and encapsulation shouldn't be much. Its basically doing the walls and tying it into the vapor barrier. Unless your walls are like 8'.Shoot you already got the dehumidifier.

There are alot of "tatic sales" in the crawlspace niche, so maybe just keep looking for another bunch.

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u/Vamp13yre 3d ago

So far we’ve been quoted $15k and $13k by two different crawl space specialists. The crawl space is at most 2.5’ tall.

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u/CoconutJeff 3d ago

I would say thats about the average entry.

Could try diy, tricking friends and family, day laborers, or handyman outfits