Dr. Energy Saver air sealed and insulated the cold crawl space walls with the revolutionary SilverGlo™ foam board insulation. The rim joists were insulated with spray foam insulation. The crawl space vent was also closed and air sealed.
Insulation plays a vital role in a home’s comfort and energy efficiency. But in order to do its job, the insulation used in your home should meet three requirements: 1) the right kind of insulation; 2) the right amount of insulation; 3) the right installation technique.
Fiberglass is wrong. Batts installed between joists in a crawl space absorb moisture, lose R-value, and often fall out of place, as shown above.
It’s unfortunate but true. Builders often omit crawl space insulation or install the wrong type of insulation.
In either case, this error causes a house to be uncomfortably cold or hot at different times of the year, and more expensive to heat and cool. A poorly insulated crawl space is also likely to be excessively damp, encouraging the growth of mold and wood rot.
The old-fashioned way to insulate a crawl space was to install fiberglass batts between the overhead joists in the crawl space. This is no longer recommended for several reasons.
In a crawl space, fiberglass insulation tends to absorb moisture, which causes it to lose R-value and fall out of place, rendering it totally ineffective while also creating a mess (see photo).
Installed against foundation walls, rigid foam insulation won't lose R-value, fall out of place or be damaged by moisture.
Fortunately, there’s a type of insulation that can perform well in crawl space conditions. Unlike fiberglass insulation, rigid foam insulation won’t absorb moisture, lose R-value or encourage mold growth. It won’t compress or fall out of place either. In crawl spaces (and basements, too), rigid foam insulation is usually installed against the foundation wall. By changing the location of the insulation, the crawl space can be brought inside the building envelope, which improves overall home energy performance.
Don’t put up with low comfort and high utility costs caused by poor crawl space insulation. Call Dr. Energy Saver for a free crawl space insulation estimate. We install the right insulation in the right way, so that your home can be more comfortable and more energy efficient.
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