Crawl Space Insulation – What You Should Know?

Have you ever wondered what can be found in the crawl space underneath your house? A dark place like that can be the perfect home for damp, dirt, pests or other animals that can inhabit your storage space under your house. This can lead to the formation of odors that can break into your house or water and dirt that can mix and attack the wood creating long lasting damage. Mice, snakes, mold, termites, it is not a great picture of what exactly can inhabit under your house. Do you want them there? Probably not.

 

There are several ways to get rid of those. If your only concern is damp, then you can opt for a crawl space vapor barrier. If you are worried about pests and odors, then a crawl space encapsulation may be for you. However, full crawl space insulation can protect you home against wood rot, odors, mold, insects for a long time, while increasing your storage space as well as taking care of your bills. How is that? Having crawl space insulation underneath your house will keep it warm in the winter so you will use less heating and will keep it cooler in the summer so you won’t use the air conditioning as much. Investing in crawl space insulation is a good idea on the long run. Not to mention that this will add value to your house and the crawl space will look clean and it will finally serve its purpose.

When choosing the crawl space insulating system, the experts advise to opt for good quality materials so it will last longer. The cheaper options will save money only on the short run, but on the long term, you will probably have to change the insulation every few years. You can buy it online or from dedicated stores in your town and they come with instructions how to use them. If you don’t want to crawl on your knees and elbows for a few days, than you can call a professional that knows exactly what to do. Also a foundation expert might come in useful so he will know what kind of protection is best for your home. 

The insulation should be performed on the walls and the subfloor and it should cover all the areas. Everything should be sealed with water-proof tape. Also it is recommended to use a termite shield that covers the entire wall up to the outside of the crawl space. There is a variety of insulation types to choose from – fiber glass, plastic, aluminum - but one type that is recommended by experts is made of plastic on one side and aluminum on the other side that pushes the heat back into the home. The two sides have foam of trapped air or a closed cell in between.

Whether you choose crawl space encapsulation or crawl space insulation, this could greatly improve the condition of your house and leave you stress free for years to come.

For more information regarding Crawl Space Encapsulation please visit us at www.sealtightsolutions.com