Choosing the Best Material for Crawl Space Foundation Insulation
If you have a crawl space foundation, you have to use insulation to keep your home warm. However, not all insulation types are created equal. Learning more about insulating this type of foundation ensures that your home is comfortable all year long.
Is Your Crawl Space Properly Insulated?
A crawl space foundation is a viable option for many reasons, but it is important that it is properly insulated. When the insulation is not sufficient, it is generally easy to tell by noticing the following:
· You might notice that from below the floors at the lowest level of the home there is a musty odor
· The floors directly above the foundation can be cold in the winter months
What Type of Insulation Should Be Used?
It is common to turn to fiberglass batt for insulation because it is readily available and inexpensive. However, this material has a tendency to support mold, sag or fall, absorb moisture and harbor mice. All of these issues can be damaging to your home as a whole. Since a crawl space is an area that is prone to moisture, you need a material that is able to resist it.
For this type of foundation, you want to look at rigid foam insulation board. This material is not going to absorb water, so this eliminates the risk of you having to deal with mildew or mold growth in the future. It also will not allow air to get through as long as you are using the right tape to properly seal the joints between the boards.
How to Properly Apply the Insulation
You have to start by determining if your crawl space foundation is insulated or not. When it has the right level of insulation, this helps to keep it dry by helping moisture to evaporate. In this case, you can simply put in the insulation between the floor joists below the subfloor. Make sure to use a vapor barrier to cover the insulation. It is also critical to make sure that it is secured. This makes sure that moisture is not able to penetrate and sit so that you can prevent issues with mold.
If there is no ventilation in your crawl space, you want to skip placing the insulation below the subfloor, and instead, insulate the walls in the area. This ultimately requires the usage of less insulation. You also will not have to separately insulate the pipes and the ducts in the space.
No matter which option you choose, you can gain further protection by installing a vapor barrier made of polyurethane over the dirt floor. To prevent the barrier from getting damaged, you can put basic sand on top of it.
You can see that it is important to make the right choice when you are insulating your crawl space foundation. To have the insulation done, talk to a professional. This is imperative because if it is not done correctly, this will be more costly over time and will result in your home being too cold or too hot, depending on the season.