| Why Crawl Space Insulation is Important |
Many homes contain crawl spaces in the attic or basement, and these narrow spaces between the walls allow for repairmen to have access to the house's plumbing and wiring. But a crawl space can also hike a homeowner’s energy bills since heat and cold can be lost through the floor or ceiling, forcing the cooling or heating system to work harder. A crawl space can also retain moisture, resulting in mold which can cause health problems. If they're in the basement, the crawl space can cause your floor to become noisy because there's nothing to absorb all that sound. The importance of crawl space insulation should be clear to you once you consider all this.
Your installation process for you crawl space insulation is dependent upon whether or not your spaces are ventilated. Today, building codes usually require vents to be placed in crawl spaces to prevent moisture problems from developing. Many building professionals believe however, that a crawl space should be unventilated or have the vents closed once construction is complete and the space has time to dry completely. During the winter, a ventilated crawl space is hard to heat, and in the summer, moist air can become trapped inside of the crawl space and make your moisture issues worse, instead of dehumidifying the space. An unventilated crawl space is easier to install crawl space insulation in.
From here you need to determine whether or not you can handle this crawl space insulation project alone, or if you should call in professional help. If you decide to install it on your own, take proper safety precautions. Among the tools you should use, include a long sleeved shirt, gloves, and eye protection. The material you'll need is Batt insulation, which is inexpensive, and which has either an R-value of 10 (for a ventilated space) or 20 (for an unventilated space). The higher the R-value, the more effective the material’s insulating properties.
Prior to putting the insulation in the crawl space, be certain that the space does not have any drafty gaps and that any access point from the outside is securely sealed. A smart move would be to seal any way in that leads outside and instead make an access point that leads to the house. Take this time to prevent any moisture problems as well. Apply a layer of vapor barrier on the floor to prevent soil moisture from rising into the crawl space.
For an unventilated crawl space, insulation only needs to be installed in the walls of the foundation. If your crawl space is ventilated, then you will probably need to get some insulation in spaces under the floor. Any pipes in the crawl space need attention, too; wrap all pipes in a layer of insulation to keep them from leaking heat and from freezing.
Applying crawl space insulation may be one of the most important improvements you can make to your house. Crawl space insulation can make your house more comfortable, and it can also save you a bundle on energy expenses.
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