Crawl Space & Basement Insulation
The accumulation of moisture is a primary concern in crawl spaces and basements because excessive moisture creates a breeding ground for mold, which is a health concern for your entire family. Often the moisture problem goes undetected in these areas, giving spores the freedom to grow undisturbed. Closed cell foam is the best choice when it comes to blocking moisture and stopping air infiltration in a damp/humid environment.
Conditioned Crawls
This is what our process is for a conditioned crawl. In the 20 years we’ve been doing them we’ve used a variety of products to try and achieve the best results without breaking the bank.
To simplify, there are basically four main ingredients that make up a successful conditioned crawl:
- A descent sustainable vapor barrier taped and sealed 100%
- Air-impermeable Insulation installed on the side walls and band joists
- Dehumidification
- Condition the crawl with mechanical ventilation
Vented Crawl Space
This type of crawl is the most common as this is how they were built for many, many years. They work well in some climates and not so well in others, and this is not a favorable climate for vented crawls. Although they are still being built on some new homes, you may think this is an acceptable practice, but that is wrong; it’s usually a cost consideration.
Here’s what you have most of the time with a vented crawl: a poorly done vapor barrier and open vents to allow humidity in to the nice cool place under your home. This then creates condensation and poor air quality, not to mention fiberglass batts that soak the moisture up like a sponge and hold it tight to your subfloor ( which is wood ). Wood and Moisture do not mix well, especially when you throw in a lack of airflow and sprinkle in a poor vapor barrier job!