Quote:
Originally Posted by zakthor
It is not porous in my book. Maybe porous like goretex. Not like a regular foam pad that I can get some air through. Doesn’t accept liquid water, surface is a sheet of rubber but air bubbles inside.
The moisture flow is exactly the reason I’m asking. It’s been successful for 55 years so change might create a problem.
The other consideration, house is heated, crawl space is cold. Moisture has no reason to condense on warm underside of floor. Water Will want to condense on top surface of floor since floor is cold. Maybe no issue?
Gregpark: I gave a link to the product. There’s other pads that look like waffles and which are porous. This stuff is quite stiff and heavy but great to stand on. No embossed pattern, it’s sheet rubber on top and bottom. It doesn’t collapse under weight like all the other stuff I’ve seen, has a more linear spring. It is apparently made to go over concrete radiant floors. Is this still effectively waffle pad? They said no extra charge compared to the foam they usually use (we have that foam upstairs in kids rooms and it sucks.) What would you recommend? The people at the carpet store know nothing - are carpet slangerz. Around here competence is rare and expensive.
I don’t think there are any vents today, except the tunnel to the warm furnace room.
I found some websites that advocate crawlspace ‘encapsulation’, I don’t see harm in taping the current seams. Visquene above… man that will suck to do. Is there a special staple that won’t tear through the sheet?
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From your description of your crawl space, it sounds like you are doing pretty well down there. I wouldn't upset the apple cart. Maybe ad a fan or some vents for some airflow.
If I recall correctly even the best carpet pad (not the new one your are researching) only has about a ten year life span? Even if it has a longer life span including the new one if it is time to replace the carpet do you really want to keep the old pad with what ever gets spilled, maybe pet stains, dead skin, dirt, etc?
Keep in mind a few things, mold is ever present. Mold needs three things to grow, an organic food source (wood), Moisture and heat, eliminate an one of the three and the mold remains dormant.