Tim,
In September I put a high performance vapor barrier down in my crawlspace. It was 15 mil Stegowrap covering 100% of the ground and taped to wood strips
around the perimeter.
Now here it is February and I have noticed that the wood in my hardwood floors in my foyer and den is starting to separate. I can probably stick a thin dime in the cracks. Someone once told me never to cover 100% of the crawlspace for just this reason, but my Internet research suggests otherwise.
What should I do? Cut it back? Get rid of some of it? All of it? Please let me know. Thanks!
Bruce Korn
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Bruce,
Do not remove the vapor retarder! The floor is reacting exactly as it should. Prior to the installation of the vapor retarder, the wood had swelled. Now that you are three or four months into the heating season, the floor is losing that moisture. Shrinkage is an unfortunate by-product of this moisture loss.
You can fill those cracks with special products available at any business that sells and installs hardwood flooring.
Tim Carter
www.askthebuilder.com
W3ATB