Quote Originally Posted by Drtgirl View Post
Hi Ladies,

Does anyone here have a dirt crawlspace? If so, do you have a vapor barrier? And (last question), is the dirt wet underneath the plastic?

We live in Seattle and I'm wondering if we're the only one with damp dirt/mud under our vapor barrier.

Thanks!
I live at sea level. While I do have a vapor barrier in the crawl, the ground is just saturated most of the time, and there is moisture down there. Every two weeks when we have the more extreme tides, or every nor'easter (which is 3 since mid Sept) most of my town has standing water from a couple of inches to well 12-14" frequently. The last storm was the first time in 9 years I have had to move my car to higher ground but my neighbors have to do it routinely.

If you are at also at sea level, and plagued with constant rain you have my sympathy. But if you are at a higher elevation and just have a drainage problem it can be fixed. Around here it's just a fact of life and there is little that can be done. The price we pay for living at the beach.

Check to be sure your gutters (if you have them) aren't clogged, and really are directing water away from the house (as opposed to along the foundation and into the crawl) and that the grading is done correctly around the house to direct water away. Those are the first two things to fix. After that you will probably need a professional.