Ensuring adequate insulation for crawl spaces under the house is more than a practical measure; it's a strategic move toward a cozier and energy-efficient living space.
Whether you have a ventilated or unventilated crawl space in your home, installing fiberglass insulation can help you keep monthly energy costs low and your home’s temperature accurate while protecting your belongings from damage.
Pros and Cons of Insulating Crawl Space
By sealing and insulating a crawl space, you can make your home more comfortable and reduce your energy costs. How you go about doing that depends on whether your crawl space is ventilated.
Older homes typically have ventilated crawl spaces, and newer houses are often built with unventilated crawl spaces. Unventilated crawl spaces require that you seal and insulate the foundation walls but not the subfloor.
Whether it’s ventilated or not, there are many benefits to insulating the crawl space, including:
- Significant Energy Savings: Proper insulation in the crawlspace helps control indoor temperatures while reducing the need for excessive heating or cooling, leading to energy cost savings.
- Improved Comfort: Insulation ensures a more consistent and comfortable indoor environment by minimizing temperature variations and drafts.
- Assists with Moisture Control: Insulation helps prevent moisture buildup, reducing the risk of mold, mildew, and wood rot, and maintaining a dry and healthy crawlspace.
- Prevents Pest Infestations: A well-insulated crawlspace can act as an obstruction to pests, preventing them from penetrating and nesting in the space.
- Enhanced Indoor Air Quality: By minimizing moisture and preventing the growth of mold, insulation leads to higher indoor air quality, which can reduce the risk of health problems like respiratory issues.
However, depending on your home and HVAC system, there may be some disadvantages to insulating your crawl space, such as:
- Initial Cost: The upfront cost of insulation materials and installation can be a drawback, although long-term energy savings often outweigh it.
- Vapor Barrier Considerations: In humid climates, the installation of a vapor barrier is essential, adding an extra step to the insulation process.
- Access Challenges: Crawlspace insulation may complicate access to utilities, making it more challenging to perform maintenance or repairs.
To better understand your insulation needs, speak to an experienced contractor who can inspect your crawl space and determine what’s best for your home.
How to Insulate a Crawl Space
Follow these steps as you insulate ductwork in a crawl space:
- Seal the Floor Gaps: Begin by sealing all gaps on the floor over your crawl space. This crucial step prevents unwanted air leaks from infiltrating your living spaces.
- Roll Out the Insulation: Unroll fiberglass insulation between the floor joists, securing it against the subfloor. This not only provides excellent thermal insulation but also helps in keeping your home's temperature just right. Remember to seal the seams tight to fend off any winds trying to make their way in.
- Fasten for Durability: Ensure its lifespan by using mechanical fasteners to secure the insulation firmly between the joists. This helps your insulation stays in place, maintaining its effectiveness over time.
- Wrap it Up: Envelop the insulation with a house wrap or vapor barrier. This protective layer not only enhances the insulation's performance but also adds an extra shield against external elements, creating a robust barrier for your crawl space.
- Ensure Ground Protection: Safeguard the crawl space's dirt floor by installing a vapor retarder. Seal all the seams meticulously, locking in the insulation benefits. To add a finishing touch, cover the retarder with a thin layer of sand for an extra layer of protection. Avoid crushed gravel, as it might jeopardize the material's integrity.
How Much Does It Cost to Insulate a Crawl Space?
The crawl space insulation cost is dependent on the size of your home and what exactly you have done. Insulating your crawl space typically comes with a cost range of $1.00 to $4.50 per square foot, resulting in an average overall cost of $500 to $3,700. More specifically, opting for spray foam insulation beneath your house comes with a price tag of $2 to $5 per square foot.
For the best outcome, have your crawl space insulated by professional technicians. They will examine your crawl space and help you choose the right materials. They can also properly place the insulation, freeing you of any inconveniences in the future.
If you need professional assistance with insulating your crawl space, reach out to our team at Home Comfort Experts. We’ll thoroughly inspect your crawl space and advise you on the best method to complete the job.
Contact us today for crawl space insulation in Northern Indiana and Southwestern Michigan.
The holiday season is supposed to be full of cheer and joy. Unfortunately in places like Mishawaka, South Bend and the surrounding areas, it’s also the season that the frigid cold temperatures wreak havoc on our homes. Things like frozen pipes that burst can create loads of drama and headache for homeowners during the holidays. Here are Home Comfort Experts’ tips to prevent this horrid problem from happening in your home.
Keep Your Home at 68 Degrees or Higher
When it comes to your thermostat make sure you don’t set it too low. Setting your thermostat much lower than 68 degrees can put your pipes and your home in danger. Lower temperatures in your home can leave some of the pipes in the outer walls of your home susceptible to frigid temps, which could cause frozen and burst pipes. If you’re having a problem keeping your home comfortable and well heated this winter, make sure to get a furnace tune-up with the experts at Home Comfort. We’ll make sure your furnace system is operating at peak efficiency.
Make Sure Your Michigan or Indiana Home Is Properly Insulated
Your thermostat isn’t the only way to safeguard your home from freezing temperatures in the winter. Proper insulation also plays a huge part in keeping your home comfortable and in working condition. Inadequate insulation in the exterior walls of your home and in your attic or basement can leave pipes exposed to the cold.
Shut Off Water Supply Valves to Washing Machine if You’re on Vacation
Many homeowners who’ve experienced frozen or burst pipes had it happen while they were away from their homes for an extended period of time. This makes the problem even more dangerous because it usually means your burst pipes are leaking water into your home for longer until it is noticed, causing a lot more damage. If you’re leaving your home for an extended period of time, it might be wise to shut off the water supply valves to your washing machine and other large appliances that consume water in your home.
Call Home Comfort Experts for a plumbing inspection this winter and protect your home from the worst.
Insulation and sealing are two effective ways to reduce energy loss in your HVAC system’s ductwork, the mostly out-of-sight network of tubes that delivers heated and cooled air from your HVAC equipment to your living spaces. Particularly when ducts run through unconditioned parts of your home, they can be major sources of energy waste. (more…)
Frozen pipes are a real worry during the coldest days of winter in Northern Indiana and Southwest Michigan. At about 20 degrees or below, pipes are at risk of freezing -- and if they freeze, they might also burst. A water pipe with a crack as small at one-eighth of an inch could send more than 250 gallons of water into your home in one day.
Fortunately, there are several steps you can take to reduce the possibility of frozen pipes -- and the chance of a midwinter home disaster:
- Insulate. Insulate your water pipes with premade insulation designed to wrap snugly around pipes and protect them from the cold. Ask your HVAC contractor where to find this material. If you can’t find specialty pipe insulation, you can wrap your pipes with standard fiberglass roll insulation.
- Seal. Inspect your house's foundation and outside walls, looking for cracks, gaps and holes through which cold air can get into your house and reduce temperatures near your water pipes. Pipes in unconditioned or uninsulated areas of your home, such as crawl spaces, unfinished attics or basements, outer walls or foundations, are more likely to be affected by cold air. Repair cracks with weather stripping, caulk or other sealants.
- Heat. Open cabinet doors under the kitchen and bathroom sinks to let more warm get near the pipes.
Keep your home’s thermostat set at a constant warm temperature. Reducing indoor temperatures at night or while you are away during the day increases the chance of pipes freezing.
You can also wrap your pipes with heat tape or cable. These contain heating elements that will provide additional protection against freezing. They must be plugged into a standard electrical socket, so keep access in mind and buy the correct length of tape.
Contact Home Comfort Experts today for more information on preventing frozen pipes and for the insulation, heat tapes and other supplies you need to protect your home.
Looking for an easy and inexpensive way to lower your home energy costs? Try insulating your hot water heater.
Insulation is rated according to its ability to resist the flow of heat from one space to another. This rating, known as R-value, is an important factor to consider when deciding which insulating material will provide the most effective heat barrier for your home.