Crawl space insulation in Windsor Locks, CT
Challenge
Under-insulated crawl space needed the removal of existing old insulation to prepare for a crawl space encapsulation system to make the home more energy efficient and comfortable.
This home had a crawl space that was under-insulated due to old insulation that wasn't providing any insulation value with chicken wiring holding the fiberglass up. The window surrounding the crawl space caused air leaks and energy loss in the home. The floor insulation sagged away from the subfloor even with the chicken wiring holding it up. With this sagging insulation, the cold air gets above it - rendering the insulation useless. In the summer the vents let warm air in which is cooled by the crawl space. This causes the relative humidity to go way up and condensation to form all over the crawl space surfaces, including floor joists and ducts, resulting in mold growth insects, pest flourishing, and mold spores that could potentially travel up to your living space. An unending stream of water vapors comes up from the ground adding to the moisture load in the crawl space and house. The damp air is harder to heat and cool. This is why our building science specialist set a plan in motion to fix this uncomfortable home.
Solution
steps Fogarty's Home Services take to make this home more comfortable. Crawl space repair with crawl space encapsulation system and sealing all air leaks.
Fixing this crawl space that was making this home uncomfortable began with the removal of the old fiberglass insulation and the chicken wiring holding it up. It’s not a fun job but is required and necessary to have a healthy home in the end. After this task is completed it prepares us to able to conduct the following solutions. The next step is installing the crawl space encapsulation system with a drainage matting, terrablock™ floor insulation, and SilverGlo™ insulation on the walls. The crawl space encapsulation will seal air leaks using insulated vent covers. The walls are insulated with SilverGlo™ insulation with a reflective radiant barrier face. SilverGlo™ has graphite infused into the foam to increase the R-value by 24% over standard foam. A dimpled plastic drainage matting is installed across the floor to create an airspace and thermal break, and TerraBlock floor insulation is installed over it. Finally, to complete the crawlspace encapsulation, the heavy-duty, 20-mil thick crawl space encapsulation liner is installed permanently across the crawl space floor. Then sealed with mechanical fasteners to the walls and spiked to the floor. The liner features ultra-fresh antimicrobial ingredients in the product. This crawl space encapsulation system will lower humidity, provide warmer floors upstairs, fewer drafts, lower fuel, and electric bills, and a more comfortable home. After completing the Crawl space encapsulation, we install an Everlast Crawl Space door material to seal over the window. This will help with the air leaks the crawl space windows were causing the home. A lot less condensation and a more comfortable home. Then we spray foamed the rim joists with two-part spray foam to seal all cracks and gaps and joints where air from the outside enters your home.
