Should I put spray foam insulation in my crawlspace?
I had my crawlspace cleaned and treated for mold. They removed all the insulation. For potential buyers and my small children, is there a downside to putting in the spray Foam Insulation instead of fiberglass?
The mold was from ground water, the flooring always stayed dry. I have fixed the correctable drainage and will be installing some internal drainage and a sump pump to keep it dry.
Install – Radiant Barrier Foil
It’s a lightweight, reflective material made of a plastic substrate with a vapor-deposited coating of aluminum that is also used by NASA to protect astronauts during space walks.
This is a premium choice for insulation. It is applied by stapling it to rafters or laying it out over existing insulation. Radiant barrier foil reflects 97% of radiant heat (either keeping it in during the winter or keeping it out during the summer). It is the least-expensive energy improvement you can make in your home.
no
References :
The downside would be if you had another water loss from inside the home. In order to dry out the subfloor (and prevent mold) they would have to dry it out from both above (in your home) and below (in the crawlspace), and to dry it out from below they would need to remove the insulation. I would go with the rolled fiberglass insulation…
References :
Fiberglass insulation in any crawl space is just asking for trouble. We have done numerous termite repair jobs where we have replaced sill plates,floor joist,boxing or rim boards,sub-floor,bottom wall plates,studs. All because the floor joist cavities in the crawl space were insulated with fiberglass batts.
The termite inspectors found numerous *mud runs* behind this insulation and told us that termites love to build their mud runs in these areas because it allows them to keep the mud runs damp as they continue building them behind this insulation. They also said that even on scheduled inspections they have to remove this fiberglass insulation to do inspections. These inspections are needed annually to keep the warranty coverage in force.
Termites do not like the spray foam insulation and they choose not to eat away at it to build mud runs. Usually this fiberglass insulation bags done and becomes loose over time and the crawl space is hardly navigable once this happens.
The best crawl space we have been in have all had spray foam applied around the perimeter block foundation walls and in the ends of joist spaces at the boxing board or rim board. The floor area is usually not insulated as the radiant heat from the duct work helps keep this area warm once the foam is sprayed on the perimeter.
Some customers have had us have our electrical subcontractor install crawl space lights on a separate switch which has made a bath or kitchen remodel which often requires re-locating plumbing in the crawl space a lot easier.
Keep the crawl space fiberglass free -
References :
General Contractor 30yrs. and counting
Install – Radiant Barrier Foil
It’s a lightweight, reflective material made of a plastic substrate with a vapor-deposited coating of aluminum that is also used by NASA to protect astronauts during space walks.
This is a premium choice for insulation. It is applied by stapling it to rafters or laying it out over existing insulation. Radiant barrier foil reflects 97% of radiant heat (either keeping it in during the winter or keeping it out during the summer). It is the least-expensive energy improvement you can make in your home.
References :
http://www.coolattix.com
http://besthomeinsulation.blogspot.com/
http://lowerenergycosts.blogspot.com/