What is the best way to line a basement crawl space?

Question

A crawl space in my basement has a bunch of old wood piled up in it. I discovered this long after I purchased my house. I am worried that this wood will start rotting, so my plan is to remove it. Underneath the wood is dirt, and I know that it is best to cover this in some manner, to seal it. Is there a simple way to do this without hiring outside help? (I am willing to work hard and ask a few friends to help if necessary)

Answer 1

First remove all loose wood, junk and stones.

Put a layer of sand over the floor about 1 inch thick. This will give some padding so the plastic won't get holes poked into it when you are walking on the plastic.

Lay down a vapor barrier using the thickest plastic you can find. Overlap and tape seams.

You can do this yourself. Good luck.

Answer 2

Use at least 6 mil poly and cover the entire dirt area. Overlap the plastic if you have seams at least one foot and tape. You can go up the walls a foot if you wish and secure it to the walls.

Answer 3

Work hard---remove the wood before the termites show up.

Answer 4

i would cover the dirt with plastic and cover the plastic with gravel so if i had to crawl under there to fix something it would be somewhat bearable...

Answer 5

Spray Foam Insulation, This will seal it and it will take no time at all.