My first look at the crawlspace under the back part of the house revealed a bit about how the house is supported in the back but also that the builders were not very tidy–leaving a bunch of extra insulation, plastic, boards etc. behind them. These “before” photos were taken in February of 2012, shortly after we took possession of the house.
The crawlspace has a triple 2 x 12 beam crossing parallel to the wall in the hallway that holds the master bedroom roof on one side and the clerestory and part of the attic on the other.
Main beam with rocky ground
This mess was in the far corner near the vent that is now being used for radon mitigation.
Mess in the corner
Throughout the area scraps of insulation, not only pink stuff used in the floor but also yellow stuff that had been used in the walls were scattered. You can see the radon vent in this photo. It may have just been for cross ventilation in the original plan.
Insulation and plastic scraps–the black circle in the stud wall is the vent pipe
Also there were many short pieces of cut off 2 x 4 and 2 x 6 piled about.
Piles of short boards
And some scraps of plywood discarded in the space.
More boards and insulation
Lots of junk to haul out one piece at a time–crawling army style on my stomach over hard clay rocky ground. At least it was dry!
Boards under the house
This shows the end of the main beam and a diagonal spur beam that crosses to the foundation wall near the back door. Lots of scrap wire, pieces of plastic, insulation, and even hose were under the house.
Bits of insulation and wire