Hi,

We will be installing engineered flooring (5" Santos Mahogany) on the 2nd floor of our house. The first floor below is a crawl space, which is raised high enough that you could stand up and walk around under the house. We live in Southern California (in a relatively dry area) and plan to install around April/May.

Is it necessary to be concerned with excess moisture from our crawl space? If so, what is average or acceptable humidity for Southern California? And would we need to lay down a vapor barrier?

Thanks in advance.

I have almost been thrown out of houses for quoting NWFA/NOFMA on the use of a vapor retarder in crawl spaces, literally LOL

Theres thousands of older homes here that have solid 3/4 QS nailed directly to the joists with no subfloor or nuthin between the wood and the dirt that have virtually no problems cept a couple squeeks. Thats all I am going to say on the subject for fear of getting thrown off the board.

i believe this calls for some flooring experts. it's my problem too lately.

I say it's only 6 cents a sf cheapo insurance but I ain't crawling around down there lol

One job I looked at was a 2 story. Had bad water damage like two weeks worth of water pouring out of the second story onto the firt floor and into the crawl space. I told the guy once you put plywood over it it ain't the same as the old install where it QS was nailed to the joists and it could breath. Besides the crawl space was still wet as heck after six months. He looked at me like I was crazy.

Same with one I looked at down in Patagonia years ago that Ken sent me to look at.

To many scorpions and black widows.