I am building a new house that has a basement and crawl space. The builder typically installs gravel onntop of the dirt. A friend recommended installing a 2 inch cap of concrete. Is this a good idea or is the gravel sufficient? I plan to finish the basement. What else would you recommend that I have the builder do to prepare the crawl space for a finished basement and how long should I wait before finishing it?
Answer:
A 2-inch cap will not do it. You should have at least a 3-inch slab poured. The gravel will certainly not be enough to keep moisture from wicking up at a rate of at least a gallon a day for the rest of the life of the house. Ventilating that area will also have to be addressed.
