Using gravel-floored crawlspace for storage?

Sparky

Original poster
Member
Dec 4, 2011
12,927
My house has a partial basement where about 3/4 of it is a full block wall with a concrete floor. The remaining 1/4 is a crawlspace with a gravel floor and some old messed up plastic sheeting.

What I want to do is use that crawlspace area for storage, but it needs more of a floor. Best is to concrete it, but another thought is to fix the plastic sheeting and put a plywood floor down (likely cheaper and easier).

No water issues, by the way. There is a sump pump in the main basement floor and I have a dehumidifier also.

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mrrsm

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Oct 22, 2015
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This is a very interesting Article that covers almost the exact same situation you presently face that started out with the Home Owner choosing the Wrong Solution and later on... Discovering a Much Better Option for making the Best Use of the available Crawl Space:

 
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Sparky

Original poster
Member
Dec 4, 2011
12,927
Humidity as I said is a non issue. It is open to the rest od the otherwise full basement and I have a sump and a dehumidifier that keeps it plenty dry down there.
 

Matt

Member
Dec 2, 2011
4,019
I think the only issue would be trying to level it out a bit because it seems awfully hilly.
 

northcreek

Member
Jan 15, 2012
3,310
WNY
No matter what you decide to lay down I would suggest being vigilant with poison or traps to fend off any rodents because once they get under that covering they really set-up camp.
My parents had a crawl space and that was a constant problem.
 

6716

Member
Jul 24, 2012
821
For reference I spent a lot of years in flooring and construction, and I had a house that had a partial crawl space underneath finished space above it.

My question is: what are you planning to store there?
 

Sparky

Original poster
Member
Dec 4, 2011
12,927
Off season clothes (in plastic totes) primarily. And let's be honest, there will be a bunch of random stuff that I don't know what to do with that will just be stored away for 20 years for no good reason too lol.
 

6716

Member
Jul 24, 2012
821
Even with the dehumidifier I think you might be surprised at how much moisture is coming up through the gravel. Mostly I would think a plywood "floor" is going to be a deck. Just plywood laid over gravel likely won't make you super happy, but maybe that is what you have in mind. If I had to do a plywood floor there I would be thinking about using some footings of some sort, maybe frame up a perimeter in 2x6's and put in some joists, then deck over with plywood. I would want some airflow from underneath the deck so it doesn't trap as much moisture.

Also, I would totally not do a plywood floor in my own home's crawlspace in this situation. Just sayin'.
 
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HARDTRAILZ

Moderator
Nov 18, 2011
49,665
I would use just plastic on the gravel with the plastic totes on that. i would not want to add in the wood variable.
 
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