Vented Crawl Space
Having a vented crawl space can help reduce the moisture present under a home, but it also allows in cold air in the winter and warm air in the summer. This creates efficiency problems in a home that could be solved with insulation and encapsulation.
Ducts Through a Crawl Space
It is important to note that any heating or cooling ducts will be affected by the temperatures around them. If a heating duct passes through a cold crawl space the air inside will be effected and be less energy efficient.
Dirty Crawl Spaces
We have seen several crawl spaces that are full of dirt and rocks. These types of crawl spaces allow the moisture and gasses from the earth to enter the home, so it is important to consider encapsulating them.
Gaps in Ducts
Where these cylinders fit together there is a considerable gap that has formed. This allows the unconditioned air of the crawl space to enter the pipe and the air inside the pipe to enter the crawl space. This is overall very inefficient.
Working Around Rocks
When insulating and encapsulating a crawl space it is important to understand the obstacles you'll need to work around. Rocks that are too large to be moved become a part of the floor and must be accounted for in the insulation and encapsulation process.
Foundation Support
During our inspections we also look at the support of the foundation. If a foundation has not been sufficiently supported DBS Residential Solutions offers several different foundation repair options.
Basement Dehumidifier
The basement area of this home had problems with dampness so the homeowner had been using a dehumidifier.
Wood Exposed To Moisture is More Likely to Mold and Rot
When a crawl space is moist or humid there is a higher chance for the wood to mold and eventually rot away. Causing structural concerns for the home.
Heating a Crawl Space
With ample room for storage it is nice to have a heated area to store things year round, unfortunately with the venting to this crawl space and lack of insulation the heat created by a heater is not maintained in the space for long.
Previous Insulation Inadequate
This insulation that had previously provided only a slight advantage as it is not a high R-value product and the gaps between pieces of insulation creates space for unconditioned air to move freely.
Wood Dampening Over Time
This wood has begun to take in the moisture of the crawl space and has the potential for serious mold problems before long.
Ineffective Crawl Space Encapsulation
It is helpful to have a barrier between the earth and your home, but often the barriers that initially get installed are not thick enough to withstand homeowners walking over them to make repairs or access storage and if not used to make a complete seal in the crawl space they can still allow cold air and harmful gasses like radon to enter the home.
Rim Joist Insulation
The rim joist is an essential part of the home to insulate whether the home has a basement or a crawl space. This area can allow a lot of outside air to leak into the home, so it is a very effective and efficient decision to properly air seal and insulate these areas. If the insulation is not properly installed like we see here, the home will run much less efficient than it should be.
Failing Insulation
When not properly installed the first time insulation has been known to fall or otherwise separate from its original location. This creates a weak point in the insulation that had been initially installed. We use foam board insulation and spray foam insulation that won't require continual maintenance to keep in place and remain effective.
Crawl Space Venting
Here you can see the vent that freely allows outside air into the home. This is an easy way to know if the efficiency of your home could be improved.
Un-Insulated Home Floor
From this vantage point you can see clearly that there is no insulation protecting the base of the home from the outside air that is allowed in through the vent. Often homeowners install batt insulation here which we typically see fall back to the ground over time. Air sealing and insulating your home will eliminate the need to worry about installing this insulation or whether or not it is still properly attached.
Another Look At the Rim Joists
Here's another view of how important proper rim joist insulation is. It is not appropriate to merely stuff insulation into the open space. It is crucial to have these areas properly insulated and air sealed with spray foam insulation.
Insulating Around the Rock
This rock had become a part of the crawl space floor. It was not moving, so it had to be considered when encapsulating and insulating the crawl space. To solve this problem, our crew encapsulated the crawl space leading up to the rock and used spray foam insulation to air seal between he rock and the CleanSpace encapsulation barrier.
Separating Pipes from the Elements
Encapsulating and insulating the crawl space helps to separate the outside world from these pipe which if frozen could cause major problems.
Air Sealed and Ready for Winter
This crawl space is now sealed away from the elements and won't allow unconditioned air to easily pass through.
Efficient Heating Now Possible
This heater appears to be used from time to time to keep machines running properly and prevent pipes from freezing. The heat created will not be maintained within the crawl space and will reduce the cost of energy needed to maintain a warm space.
Insulating Pipe Protrusions
When pipes enter and exit a space there is typically a small amount of space around them that allows air leakage. We make sure to properly insulate these areas.
Properly Insulate the Rim Joists
By using spray foam insulation our crews have now not only insulated the rim joist, but air sealed it as well. This is one of the most effective ways to quickly make a home more efficient.
