Crawl space insulation keeps your house warmer in the winter time. Insulating
under the kitchen floor helps prevent cold feet in the morning. An added
benefit is a lower bill for heating your home. The method and materials used
depends on the construction of the space and if it is ventilated. Installing
insulation isn't difficult. In most cases, for a homeowner with a little
knowledge, this is a good DIY job. The typical space can be insulated over a
weekend.
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Types of Crawl Space Insulation
Several materials can be used for insulating your crawl space http://www.soundproofing-tips.com/crawl-space-insulation.html
. Typical materials are fiberglass, wood fibers, foams and paper fibers.
Insulating materials come in blanket form, in rigid sheets or loose. The
type you choose will depend on whether you are insulating the exterior walls
or under the floor of your home. Regardless of the material used, the basic
concept is the same. The insulating materials work like the blankets on your
bed on a cold night. The blankets trap air near the source of heat and
prevent the warm air from escaping. Heat normally radiates out and away from
its source.
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Insulating materials prevent this from happening. Products are rated
based on their efficiency. More effective insulating materials will be more
expensive. The rating is known as the R value, which stands for flow
resistance. The higher the rating, the more energy efficient the product. You
will generally find this information on the package. If it's not there, ask
the salesperson.
Find a Pre-Screened Insulation Contractor in Your Area
Where to Install Crawl Space Insulation
There are generally two choices for insulating a crawl space. You can either
insulate the exterior walls of the space or the ceiling of the crawl space
under the floor of your home. A main consideration in deciding is whether or
not the space is ventilated. You should only insulate the walls of an
unventilated crawl space.
In most cases, it's better to insulate the exterior walls. The typical
material used is fibreglass batt. This will need to be cut to fit the wall
from the top, all the way down and extending onto the ground a few feet. You
may need to attach wood strips to the wall and staple the insulation to the
wood. Another option is to nail into the wood at the top of the wall and drape
the insulation.
When you insulate the exterior walls, you need to put a vapor barrier on the
ground. This will prevent moisture from seeping from the ground into your
crawl space. This moisture can cause mildew to grow in the space. The exterior
walls should only be insulated if the space remains dry all year. There should
be no ventilation to the outside and any ventilation should be blocked.
If your crawl space is vented, you will need to insulate under the floor. When
you do this, be sure to insulate any water pipes and ducts in the space. If
you don't do this, your pipes may freeze and burst in the winter. Several
materials can be used for this job. You can use unfaced batts or fiberglass
with a foil vapor barrier if moisture is an issue. Reflective materials are
available and are excellent for keeping the floor warm in the winter.
Insulating the floor can also reduce the noise level in your home. It acts as
a soundproofing material. This results in less noise when the kids run across
the carpet or the tile floor.
When working with any type of materials, safety is important. Always wear long
sleeves and pants, as fiberglass and other materials are irritating to the
skin. Wear gloves on your hands. A dust mask and eye protection are also
needed.
