New House Build in the Country!!!

truckdiagnostics · Feb 6, 2016

GPintheMitten said:
At some point I would get some heavy plastic to cover the soil in the crawl space to prevent moisture and dampness to get into the area.

Make them do it now when you can lay a sheet over and cut openings for all the pillars. I think it would be much harder after the floor framing. Getting this down and tight to all the pillars and wall is going to be a big deal. You need to keep the moisture from the ground getting into the crawl space.

Billrog · Feb 6, 2016

The requirement here is 6 mil poly with a 2" concrete skim coat over the top of it. Since once owning a home with poly and no skim coat I think it is a good idea just bull floated good enough to be smooth.

justinramani · Feb 6, 2016

Billrog said:
The requirement here is 6 mil poly with a 2" concrete skim coat over the top of it. Since once owning a home with poly and no skim coat I think it is a good idea just bull floated good enough to be smooth.

Where are you located? Never seen skim coating in crawl space, but it sounds like a good idea. Any pics of your crawl space?

truckdiagnostics · Feb 6, 2016

Billrog said:
The requirement here is 6 mil poly with a 2" concrete skim coat over the top of it. Since once owning a home with poly and no skim coat I think it is a good idea just bull floated good enough to be smooth.

That would be the way I would want it done. I was looking at the very least. If you want it you are going to need to put your foot down real soon, I don't know how you could do it once the floor framing was done. Not easily anyway. It maybe different in your area, northern climates 6 mil poly code. The skim coat of concrete would keep the critters from tunneling in!

GPintheMitten · Feb 6, 2016

I had a house with a crawl space and skim coat. It was rougher than I would have wanted but I could sit on a bucket on a moving dolly and slide around fairly well. So much better than just dirt or even dirt with poly sealed.
I don't know what it would cost but I would look into it. I think 2 inches thick would be enough.

Billrog · Feb 6, 2016

I've worked in crawl spaces long in the past, some were muddy, some dry and dusty, some ruff concrete, the one I owned 30yrs. ago only had poly. Any home I built after that had a skim coat smooth enough to kneel or crawl on. A yd. of concrete will give you 168 sq. ft. of 2" skim coat.
justinramani sorry I can't show you a pic. I haven't lived there for 25 yrs.

EddieWalker · Feb 7, 2016

I just thought of another suggestion. Like most homes, the main water valve coming into my house is in the ground. I have to go out my back door, get on my knees, remove the cover, clean off the sand that always seems to get in there after a heavy rain, and then reach in to turn off the water. On my remodel and addition of a garden/processing kitchen, I had to re route the main water supply to my water heater. I ran it up the wall behind where my garage door opens and up through my insulated attic. I put a valve in the middle of the wall which you don't see if the door is open, but fairly obvious when it's closed. Since doing this, I've turned the water off to my house at least a dozen times while working on the new kitchen. This has proven to be so much nicer then dealing with the valve in the ground. I think everyone should think about putting a second valve into their homes where it's easy to get to, rain or shine, day or night.

Scooter78 · Feb 7, 2016

Eddie is right I have one in a hall closet and used it this past week when hot water heater went out.

GLyford · Feb 9, 2016

I'm on a well, but the main shutoff to the house coming out of the pressure tank tee is right where I can get at it, which certainly makes repairs easier. Even if the service shutoff is in a box outside, there's nothing to say you can't add your own somewhere more accessible.