A: Bill, the plastic on your crawlspace floor is called a "vapor barrier." It is placed there to cut down on moisture coming up from the ground and into your crawlspace.

Check to make sure that the entire floor is covered by the vapor barrier and sealed tight. Also, you need to cover the water lines with pipe insulation to cut down on the sweating, and this will also protect them in the colder months.

Finally, install a dehumidifier in the crawlspace as your local codes allow. I did this for my own crawlspace and it really dried it out. I recommend that you install it with an automatic drain set up so you won't have to keep emptying the collection bucket.

Remember, it's called a "crawlspace," so going in every day to empty a bucket may give you a dry area, along with a bad back!