Putting A Concrete Floor In Crawl Space

In this design a concrete pad called a mud pad is poured on the crawl space floor.

Putting a concrete floor in crawl space.

Tile floors usually require an special underlayment on top of the. This is done several ways. Concrete crawl space floors will be difficult to install after framing has begun. With and with out a vapor barrier.

Most types of tile can be used above crawl spaces unless there are significant moisture problems in the crawl space. The traditional mud pad is a poured concrete pad over a roughly graded dirt floor. The concrete should be poured after the footer installation and the foundation walls are in place. Problems with putting wood flooring over a crawlspace.

Permanently seals walls and floors. Installing a hardwood floor directly over a crawlspace exposes the wood to moisture from the ground and from the air in the crawlspace. That is 1 1 2 truckloads from a concrete truck. Also since concrete does not provide a thermal break a temperature difference between the air and the concrete surface will cause condensation.

Ceramic and stone tile will be too heavy and too difficult to install on the access door. Construction work that might need to be done in the crawl space will be much easier with a finished concrete floor. And that leads to more mold. Concrete is heavy and mixing enough by yourself to cover your entire crawl space floor and walls is out of the question.

The major exception is any crawl space access door in the floor. Concrete will keep out moisture and bugs. The alternative to pumping concrete is a liner sealing system of the crawl space. This is essentially a concrete barrier meant to help control moisture in the crawl space.