Crawl Space Insulation Dos and Don'ts

 

If your Arkansas home sits on a vented crawl space foundation, you might be already familiar with the many problems it can bring: the chronic humidity, the mold, the odors, the buckling floors. The moisture loving pests it invites and the occasional house guests: stray cats, skunks, all sorts of rodents and the snakes that feed on them. 

But of all the problems, the one that is probably the hardest to deal with is the fact that your crawl space is becoming quite a burden on your budget.  

You might be quite weary of the cold drafts coming from it during the frigid New England winter, causing your house to never feel warm enough, even when you have your thermostat set to a hellish temperature. You are paying for enough fuel to heat up a palace and you still need a sweater indoors.  

Even in the cold Connecticut winter, you know that you are not supposed to feel that uncomfortable indoors! So you decide to do something about it., and your first thought is crawl space insulation. By insulating the crawl space, you hope to curb some of that heat loss and make your home more comfortable. And you are right! Insulating your crawl space is probably one of the best investments you can make in terms of energy efficiency!

According to Advanced Energy, energy losses through a crawl space are so substantial, that you might as well forfeit any other energy efficient upgrades, until you get that problem fixed. 

However, the success of your crawl space insulation problem will greatly depend on the approach you use and the choice of materials. You might be surprised to learn that some of the most common approaches aren't only inefficient, but can actually be disastrous in the crawl space. 

In this article you will learn about common crawl space insulation mistakes and what you can do to avoid them. 

 

Don't: 
Don't try to control temperature without controlling moisture

Thermal control in a crawl space goes along with moisture control. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, when it comes to crawl spaces, you can't expect to efficiently control one without dealing with the other. Humid air is harder to heat and cool, and the air from the crawl space will always be sucked up to the upper floors. 

 

Do: 
Control moisture and temperature at the same time.

As you plan to insulate the crawl space, consider sealing it as well. That means closing and sealing all the vents, and lining the floor and the walls with a vapor barrier. The idea is to completely isolate the crawl space from the ground and the outside air; the two main sources of moisture in the crawl space. You will then need to condition the space using a crawl space conditioning system, or a good dehumidifier. 

Consider installing a full CleanSpace Crawl Space Encapsulation System, or for additional savings, consider a HeatBlock Crawl Space Radiant Barrier System.

The HeatBlock, offers moisture control and reflects the heat back into the house helping you save energy!

 

Don't: 
Don't use fiberglass between the floor joists, unless your crawl space is sealed and conditioned or dehumidified. 

Although this is a very common practice, fiberglass is the worst choice to insulate a crawl space, and in a vented, unconditioned craw space can prove to be disastrous. 

Fiberglass soaks moisture, and as it does it loses R-Value. It becomes virtually useless as insulation in a vented crawl space. It also sags with the weight of the water, and as it does, it opens holes in the insulation blanket. Pests and all sorts of critters love to nest on fiberglass, But the worst thing about it is that, because batches are usually held together with an urea based adhesive, when combined with moisture it creates the perfect environment for mold to grow. Mold loves fiberglass so much that in the waterproofing and mold remediation industry they call it "mold candy".

  

Do:
Use rigid foam board or TerraBlock insulation boards. 

TerraBlock is a unique, durable crawl space insulation and liner in one. TerraBlock provides energy-savings and moisture protection at the same time!

It's the first insulation product created specifically for rough, uneven crawl space floors, which can be as cold as 55°F. Made for floors and walls alike, this provides a puncture-resistant, padded solution for your crawl space. 

The TerraBlock, which can be combined with our CleanSpace Encapsulation System, or our Heat Block Radiant Barrier, is the ultimate crawl space insulation system! It's superb energy efficient performance, will give you the most energy savings for every dollar spent!

Stop wasting money through your crawl space vents. Contact Crawl Space Solutions of Arkansas today for a Free Crawl Space Insulation Estimate! You will be glad you did!