How to increase ventilation in my shallow crawl space.

[Jaygray]

I've got a bit of an issue

My crawl space under my suspended floor is very shallow - like 12cm from the bottom of the joists at some places.

It's also got a load of bricks that the timbers sit on so cross flow isn't really a thing and won't be achieved.

Im looking to insulate under the floor, so ventilation is key.

Does anyone have experience with adding a vaour barrier over the concrete base?

I'm also looking to ad a mechanical extraction fan.

 

[ree]

OP,
Why not post pics showing what you complain of, and pics showing the front & rear elevations at ground level?

 

[Jaygray]

How would I capture that in a picture? Happy to take them? But it looks like a normal suspended floor, just shallow

 

[foxhole]

Nothing different to thousands of properties . What issues is it causing .

 

[Alastairreid]

120mm is not far of the recommended 150mm.
It wouldn't be a vapor barrier a dpm is installed in solums.
If your floor joists are sitting on dwarf walls make sure there is bricks removed for airflow.
Make sure sub floor vents are clear from debris and there are enough of them.

 

[StephenStephen]

As an amateur, I would change the dwarf walls to increase airflow, might be as simple as knocking some brick out between joists, or there might be areas where you need to take them down further to create openings.
...make sure I removed any rubbish that has built up under the floor, make sure all the joist to brick contacts have some dpc between them, and make sure you've enough airbricks.

 

[foxhole]

As an amateur, I would change the dwarf walls to increase airflow, might be as simple as knocking some brick out between joists, or there might be areas where you need to take them down further to create openings.
...make sure I removed any rubbish that has built up under the floor, make sure all the joist to brick contacts have some dpc between them, and make sure you've enough airbricks.

Supporting brickwork has lots of gaps to provide air movement , no point replacing it with the same .

 

[StephenStephen]

Supporting brickwork has lots of gaps to provide air movement , no point replacing it with the same .

Yes, it should have!

 

[securespark]

Some people go round squirting silicone in each hole in their air bricks, which defeats the purpose!

I spent many a happy hour under the floor in my Mum's dormer bungalow sweeping out all the debris collected since the 1950s. I literally filled a mini skip!

 

[stevie888]

Only a mini skip? Amateurs!