Journey to an Efficient Crawlspace in Pittsfield, MA
Challenge
This homeowner in Pittsfield, MA called us with concerns about a draft, presumably around a door. Our free energy evaluation revealed a far larger problem. There was fiberglass insulation in his crawlspace that was soiled and falling off of the walls and ceiling. Fiberglass batts sag over time and once moisture gets to them, they lose their insulation value.
To make matters worse, vented crawlspaces like this one not only let in cold air in the winter, but also humid air in the summer, which condenses once it is cooled by the underground portion of the crawlspace. Once this moisture brings the humidity up to 75%, mold begins to form. At 95% humidity, organic materials such as wood will rot, which is exactly what happened to the rim joist.
This turned out to be a far larger job than originally imagined, but our team was ready to tackle it, not just to make the home more comfortable but safer.
Solution
To start, we removed the old insulation as well as the rim joist, which was beyond saving at this point. Once installed, we sprayed the new rim joist with two part expanding spray foam to insulate and seal the crawlspace off from the outside air.
We then got to work on the crawlspace itself. We installed our SilverGlo graphite infused EPS foam board onto the walls. Not only does the graphite bring the insulation value up, but SilverGlo also has a radiant barrier face to bump up its effectiveness even more. Moving down to the crawlspace floor, we began by laying down dimpled drainage matting to create space for airflow and a thermal break. TerraBlock floor insulation is then installed over the matting. Lastly, we install an anti-microbial 20 mil vapor barrier with fasteners and heavy duty tape made just for crawlspaces.
With the help and dedication of Dr. Energy Saver by Eco Energy Solutions, this home is more comfortable, energy efficient, and no longer has mold posing health risks.
