You’ll typically find crawl spaces throughout homes in North America. Due to the area’s wet climate and traditional approaches to construction used throughout the Pacific Northwest, they are even more commonly found in Washington, Oregon, and Idaho homes.
The question of whether you should DIY crawl space insulation installation–and how to insulate a crawl space–is highly relevant to PNW residents.
Continue reading to learn about how to insulate a home’s crawl space and the benefits of hiring a professional crawl space company like Crawl Pros.
What Is Crawl Space Insulation Installation?
Grasping crawl space insulation installation requires knowing why insulating crawl space areas in your home is crucial.
Crawl space insulation is installed to stop hot air from escaping homes during the winter and turning homes into saunas during the summer. Without a properly insulated crawl space, moisture will build up, developing mold, mildew, and wood rot – diminishing a house’s structural integrity.
The mold spores in free-flowing air invade homes without proper crawl space insulation, causing unpleasant odors. These conditions can also lead to health issues like asthma and trigger respiratory problems.
Lacking crawl space insulation may also cause energy costs to skyrocket in homes in moist climates. Creates an uncomfortable living space no one likes cold feet.
While many PNW residents have insulated crawl spaces, it’s important to inspect whether or not the insulation in your crawl space is the best insulation for the particular home. Outdated or improper crawl space insulation may lead to the same problems detailed above as having no insulation.
Interested in learning if it’s time for an insulation replacement? Here are 7 signs it’s time to revisit crawl space insulation installation.
Alternatively, proper crawl space insulation optimizes homes’ air quality and energy efficiency in moist climates. It also regulates the heat exchanges, keeping your home cool in the summer and toasty in the winter.
How To Insulate A Crawl Space
Below is a detailed breakdown of how Crawl Pros insulates a crawl space.
Stage 1: Removing Previous Insulation And Cleanup
The first part of insulating a crawl space entails removing any previous insulation. Not all homes have prior insulation in their crawl spaces, but many do, so it’s important to mention this process.
Also, even if your crawl space doesn’t have prior insulation, it’ll likely require much of this work–unless your home is brand new.
At Crawl Pros, removing previous crawl space insulation involves the following steps:
- We put tent poles with plastic sheets over the spaces in your home that are potentially impacted by removing the crawl space insulation. We also line doorways with cardboard.
- Our insulation installers then thoroughly clean and remove old insulation, rodent carcasses, feces, vapor barriers, and construction debris from the crawl space.
- Our crew seals any points of air penetration between unconditioned and conditioned spaces.
Stage 2: Installing Or Reinstalling Insulation
The next insulation component involves installing or reinstalling the insulation.
At Crawl Pros, we assess the thickness of floor cavities. Then, we fill those cavities, starting at the floor and going until the end of the joints.
Our team uses nylon twine to cross-string the bays. Or, they hold the insulation in place with a wood lathe. The products we use have natural binders instead of formaldehyde because we’re committed to sustainable and safe crawl space insulation practices.
Stage 3: Adding A Vapor Barrier
In this stage, we add a vapor barrier. We often install a 9 mm vapor barrier (it can be installed white or black side up.) We use tape to ensure the vapor barrier is fully secured and doesn’t move.
Our estimators might recommend fully encapsulating a crawl space, depending on the circumstances.
Stage 4: Flood Prevention And Water Mediation
The last part of Crawl Pro’s insulation installation revolves around flood prevention and water remediation. Typically, we’ll install a sump pump. Also, we’ll add French drains in the crawl space that flow into the sump pump.
From there, we’ll install back-flow devices for water prevention, then run the pipe out of the area and into an exterior rain gutter.
DIY Crawl Space Solutions
Integral to all homeowners looking to DIY their crawl space insulation is insulating the subfloor and lining the ground with a vapor barrier.
DIYers will need to install fiberglass insulation in the subfloor. You can place a plastic vapor barrier on the floor and join the two materials with tape.
You’ll need polyethylene plastic sheeting 6mm or thicker. It will be your vapor barrier that prevents moisture and controls humidity.
DIYing crawl space insulation installation may be an effective solution for the basics such as sealing and protecting the entirety of the crawl space. However, it may be much more extraneous to tackle a full-encompassing project that includes preventive measures in your crawl space. DIYers may lack the knowledge, training, and equipment that professionals like Crawl Pros have in excess. When attempting any type of home repair DIY solution, make safety the top priority.
Before installing crawl space insulation yourself, we suggest contacting Crawl Pros for a free estimate. A quote won’t cost you anything. More importantly, you’ll receive an expert’s outlook and insights on what’s required for a long-term, successful crawl space insulation solution.
Crawl Space Insulation Cost
The cost of insulating a crawl space is conditional. Factors such as the conditions, size, and layout of the area all come into play.
A free estimate from Crawl Pros will give you a better idea of the cost since it’ll be specific to your home. We combine our top-tier quality of work and cost-effectiveness, and you’ll benefit from our Perfect Guarantee.
DIY costs of such a project are far murkier. While most DIYers want to cut costs, DIY crawl space solutions can be costly. This notion rings doubly true if you need to DIY crawl space encapsulation.
On top of that, there’s the matter of long-term costs.
DIY jobs can be less successful and sustainable than leaving the work to the pros. So, you’ll likely need to pay for repairs and refurbishments–if not full-on replacements sooner than you’d think. Plus, shoddy work won’t be good for your energy bill.
Why Work With A Professional Crawl Space Company?
Realistically, the most bang for your buck is not bothering with DIY crawl space solutions and hiring a professional. Still wondering “Why Insulate With Crawl Pros?”
Beyond dollars spent, hiring a pro is also the best way to budget your time.
Insulating your crawl space yourself will be far more time-intensive and stressful than leaving it to an expert. A pro won’t be in your home for very long. In contrast, you can waste weekend after weekend trying to properly insulate your crawl space.
Reliable experts like the team at Crawl Pros will get the job done at your convenience and with the utmost efficiency. Crawl Pros also offers crawl space insulation installation services and crawl space encapsulation (when needed).
When you work with us, you’ll benefit from our technical expertise, top-tier materials, passion, and commitment. Moreover, our Perfect Guarantee comes with a lifetime warranty that our work is performed with the utmost skill, aligning with industry standards.
Crawl Space Insulation Near Me
Do you live in Seattle, Portland, or Boise and need your crawl space insulated?
Choosing Crawl Pros to handle this project means putting your crawl space in the hands of conscientious, proficient technicians who’ll get the job done free of headaches.
The long-term value of the work we do far outweighs the upfront costs. You’ll enjoy improved air quality, comfortable living conditions, and reduced energy bills for years to come once we’ve insulated your crawl space.
Reach out to Crawl Pros today for a free estimate.