Every solution seems to have someone contradicting them
One guy claims some of the smells are due to using some reinforced vapor barriers
Other say soil gasses
Others mold, rodents, bugs... -
It can be hard to identify the causes of smells.
Some say foam the walls, some say never, some say none -
for encapsulation, it has to be sealed in some manner, I've seen spray foam and insulation boards used.
Some say water under barrier is normal and fine, Others say not -
Well, the barrier is stopping the water, so of course you'll have water under it if it is doing its job.
Some say a drainage membrane to a sump or exit, others say not -
I'd want the water to get out instead of building up, so I say yes to sump pump / exit.
One guy says we have no radon in this area, others say so - Radon is everywhere, some areas less, but it's everywhere.
I'm in real estate, and we are seeing more and more people do the tests and are finding surprising results of where radon is over the threshold of 4.0 Surprising in that it's in areas people used to say "no radon in this area"
IF it was truly sealed, then why is it not part of the house environment? If it is sealed, totally stagnant, then smells will build up.
It should not be totally stagnant, either a dehumidifier that drains to daylight or a sump pump, or air supply from HVAC into the space, or a combination of the two.
I think by code, if used for dry storage, it can be classified as "livable space" and then part of the total HVAC environment.
I could use a space to store more lumber
Yes, if it's installed correctly you could store lumber down there.
I have considered an ERU for the CS, but why not whole house exiting through the CS?
If the CS is living space, why do we have return air ductwork? Why can't the CS be the plenum?
Code actually says "crawl spaces with moisture vapor control installed in accordance with this section are not to be considered plenums"
Does moister moving thorough the foundation wall depend more on correct foundation sealing on the outside? -
To a degree yes, I had to dig out my foundation on the outside and put a much better sealer in, it has cut down on water in my crawlspace by huge amounts.
What SOP says, and even what code says may not be correct. We learn things all the time. I know what I have stinks. Figurately and literally. -
You need a vent to pull the air from under the barrier out of the crawlspace.
And of course, ever slick sheet advertisement says only their system works. Think about it, at a maximum, no more than one can be correct. -
there are multiple ways to skin a cat. some better than others.