Even though there's a vapor barrier covering the dirt in my crawlspace, there is still a strong musty smell in there that sometimes migrates into living area. The soil under the vapor barrier is moist but not wet. Since the vapor barrier is semi translucent, I can see condensation on the underside of the vapor barrier at various air pockets around the concrete footings.
Something could be brewing in those air pockets and is released into the crawlspace via gaps between the vapor barrier and the wall or around the posts.
Some contractors suggest installing a french drain in the crawlspace. If I do that, would it keep the top of the soil dry, or would water still wick up the soil to the top? In other words, can water wick up from just below where the french drain is (probably 2 feet deep), and make it to the top of the soil?