aside from the extra cost, does anybody else think that concrete floors on crawl spaces is a good idea?

Question

i think they would serve a number of beneficial purposes,, keep out rodents and insects for one...keeping your floor joists dry for another..If i ever built a house i would insist on it being done...any thoughts?? I had problems with rodents actually digging under my foundation and my floor joists are showing some rot...If i had a ton of money i would have concrete poured in my current crawl space..

guess i needed to add that i live in a single single level rambler...thx..

Answer 1

You should absolutely pour a concrete floor in your crawl space. It should be at least 2" to keep rodents out. It'll also keep the moisture out and prevent mold.

You can do it yourself. It doesn't have to be fancy. Buy the concrete from a company that will back a truck up to a door or window. It's very hard work so you better have 1 or 2 helpers.

Answer 2

Speaking as someone who has crawled under homes for a living, hehehe.. I always preferred the ones with concrete slabs.... because I could zip around under there on a roller (like the ones used for automotive work.)

Having a concrete floor will not necessarily reduce your exposure to moisture tho... concrete is nororious for sucking moisture up thru it.. so.. you still need a moisture barrier, and proper ventilation.

As was pointed out in another answer, if you are going to have poured concrete walls too... then yes, you may as well spring for a full basement...it will only cost a little more, and you can double your living space.

Ive found that even with concrete slabs, and even poured knee walls... crawl spaces still get insects under them, hehehe...so, that won't necessarily be a benefit you could expect.

As for your joists showing some rot.... you need to put down a vapor barrier... a 6 mil layer of plastic will work just fine. You will be surprised just how much moisture comes up thru the ground. Put down that vapor barrier, it will help extend the life of your structure.

Good Luck!

Answer 3

Sure, it is a good idea if you want to spend the money. However, their is a setback to it. You should install a floor drain in case water does get into it. Keeping insects out requires more than just a concrete floor. And the only way to keep your floor joists dry would be to condition the air in your crawl space.

Answer 4

I have done this in a commercial building with a crawl space, never in a home. If you were to go this expense, you could almost justify the cost of a basement. It will do all the things you indicate - however, you can prevent all the problems you indicate in your question, without going to the expense of a slab.

Answer 5

If you were going to go through all that, why not just have a basement?