Installation crawl space

During warm months, this process works in reverse by keeping your floors cooler and reducing the load on your air conditioner. Assess your crawl space and locate pooled water or any type of moisture that collects in that area.

Redirect downspouts that may be forcing water alongside the foundation walls. With a shovel and rake, regrade soil banked up against the outside of the house, so that water moves away from the structure. Water can also come from within the house. Inside the crawl space, shine a flashlight around the underside of the house and look for water dripping down. Look at pipes running through or within joists.

Pay special attention to areas of prevalent moisture on the floor above: dishwashers, showers, bathtubs, and sinks. On the outside of the home, seal up any vents, doors, or hatches that open into the crawl space. Load up the caulking gun with exterior-grade caulk and insert caulk into cracks and holes. Go inside the crawl space during the day. Turn off the flashlight briefly and examine rim joists and sill areas for outside light shining through.

With the light back on, seal up these cracks with the silicone caulk. For large cracks, use low-expansion foam insulation. Cut rigid foam pieces to size with the saw and attach the pieces to the inside crawl space walls with the latex adhesive. Aim for as few seams as possible by installing large sheets of foam. As you guessed, fiberglass batts won't work. Hold the insulation in place from below using insulation support wires, or by stapling chicken wire to the bottom of the joists.

In a vented crawl space, the underfloor should be insulated — similar to how it is in ceilings. However, they are completely sealed in place. Slope to drain if a drainage system needs to be installed. Fiberglass batt systems are similar to sheet materials; Install the insulation with the paper vapor barrier facing up toward the heated living space, and make sure the insulation fits tightly between the joists. Then measure the length of the crawl space. Once installed properly, it should be slightly higher than the actual ceiling to prevent moisture from penetrating the surface.

In this video home renovation brothers dave and rich demonstrate how to insulate a crawl space. Use caulk or foam sealant to seal the joint between the top of the crawl space wall and the sill. And extend to the bottom of the subfloor.

Today, the trend is toward crawl space encapsulation which involves covering the crawl space floor and walls with a thick, puncture-resistance vapor barrier. A higher R-value means heat has a harder time leaving your home or entering it. R-values vary depending on the type of insulation.

Crawl space insulation typically gets more expensive as the R-value increases. You need the correct R-value for your geographical location. Keep in mind that this may not be the highest R-value. If you live in Minnesota, you might, though. The type of heating and air conditioning in the home also affects the required R-value. Crawl space insulation and crawl space encapsulation are not the same things.

Crawl space encapsulation prevents moisture from building up in the crawl space, thereby eliminating issues with mold, condensation, etc. We use an encapsulation material that has a foil face on one side. This increases the R-value of the vapor barrier somewhat. Multiply the height and length to find the surface area of the wall. Repeat the process for any other walls in your crawl space.

If the floor for your crawl space is uneven, take the height measurement in multiple spots on the wall and use the tallest height you find. Choose rigid foam board for your walls to prevent any water damage. Rigid foam board has a solid surface, which makes it more waterproof and prevents mold from developing in your crawl space. Slice straight through the back of the foam board to cut it to size. Set the foam board on a flat and sturdy work surface so the back side faces up. Extend the blade of a utility knife as far out as it can go and hold it at a degree angle to the insulation.

Pull the blade straight through the foam in a single motion. Continue cutting the insulation pieces as you need them so they fit your walls perfectly. Use a straightedge as a guide if you want to make your cuts perfectly straight. Attach the foam board to the wall with waterproof glue. Keep the foam board so the back side faces up, and shake a can of waterproof spray adhesive.

Spray the adhesive around the edges of the foam board so it has even coverage before sticking it onto the wall.

Firmly press around the edges so the glue adheres to the wall and makes a firm connection. Seal the seams between the insulation boards with waterproof tape. After placing all of the boards around your walls, cut strips of waterproof tape that match the length of the seams between the pieces.

Press the tape firmly so it has a firm connection and overlaps each piece by 1—2 inches 2. Method 3. Start your tape measure in one of the ceiling corners in your crawl space. Extend the tape measure to the corner directly across from it to find the ceiling length.

Keep the end of the tape measure in the same corner and pull it along the other wall to find the width. Multiply the height and width to find the ceiling area so you know how much insulation you need to buy.

Measure the width between the ceiling joists as well so you know the width of the insulation you need to buy. Pick R or R fiberglass insulation batts for the easiest installation. The R-value refers to how effective the insulation is compared to the climate in your area. If you live in a warmer climate with high humidity, opt for insulation batts that have at least an R rating.

Wear safety glasses, a dust mask, and gloves to prevent irritation.