dust control in a crawl space/ partial basement?

[MatBirch]

I have the opposite problem of most basement issues. NO moisture! I live in the desert, and the soil in our area gets very fine and powdery when it dries out. My house is 115 years old. It has a partial basement that just sort of extends on into the abyss of crawl space. The crawl space area has been sheeted with black visqueene at some point not too long ago, but there's really no good way to seal it to the foundation walls, or especially where the transition is at the finished portion. It is extremely dusty! Even the slightest movement in the basement creates enough air current to move the powder around. I've been told mag chloride or calcium chloride helps with dust, but is is safe to have under my home? Any other ideas? Spray it down with vegetable oil? lol...

 

[nadogail]

Can you put a slab floor in your basement?

 

[Holt]

Is it possible to lay a vapor barrier on the ground to move around on?

 

[Al Borland]

Airless sprayer and diluted latex paint to lock it down? it may need to be damped down first to get good penetration.

 

[egdede]

Dust in my basement used to infiltrate into my home through floor (1x6 subfloor with narrow strip oak). Built 90 years ago by a builder too cheap to even lay down paper.

I sealed 10 mil poly to the block wall using spray foam. I have a gun, use the big cans, so its EZ to lay a thin bead of foam down. Then use a 2x4 laying along side to ensure the poly is held firm while the foam cures.

 

[MatBirch]

I currently have a vapor barrier down, but it was never sealed to foundation walls or the seams. Now it it is so covered in dust, it’s doing little good anyway.
The “finished” portion is slab. There are two pony walls that don’t seal that portion from the craw space portion. There is also a large “doorway” through to the crawlspace. Complete with dirt pouring down the angle of repose into the finished area...