Crawl space insulation is a must for your home. If you don’t believe me, consider this: with effective crawl space insulation you can save as much as 15% to 35% on your heating and cooling bills. This could add up to hundreds of dollars over the years, wasted money which you could have put to better use. How can insulation do that? Basically, insulation works by preventing heat from escaping even as it prevents excess heat from coming in. This puts less stress on your air conditioning or heating systems, causing them to consume less energy.
Okay, so now that you’re convinced, what materials should you buy for crawl space insulation? There are many types of insulation but the most popular for crawl space insulation are fiberglass and foam. This type of insulation uses different thicknesses of fiberglass backed with moisture-resistant paper. You should buy your fiberglass insulation in batts (pre-cut panels of insulation) since these are the cheapest wall insulation material. Batts are available in sizes cut to fit regular wall frames, which are usually spaced twelve inches, sixteen inches or twenty-four inches. But you can also buy insulation in continuous rolls if you need to cut it to fit.
Fiberglass batts are also available with or without facing. The material used in faced batts acts as a vapor retarder to prevent insulation from becoming damp. Which one you use depends on which area you are insulating. Crawl space insulation of heated spaces or those with ducts or water pipes that are not insulated should use unfaced batts. On the other hand, for under-floor crawl space insulation, you should use faced batts.
You can also use rigid foam insulation for crawlspace insulation. Rigid insulation is produced either in boards or as molded pipe coverings. The boards may also be faced with reflective foil to reduce heat flow when they are installed next to an air space. Rigid foam insulation is best used for crawl space insulation of interior walls.
You can also apply foam insulation by spraying it into place. It can be sprayed into small nooks and crannies and will expand to fit the space as it dries. This type of insulation is produced in two forms: open-cell and closed-cell. Open-cell foam allows water vapor to move through the material with less difficulty. On the other hand, some closed-cell foams can provide a greater R-value. R-value is a way of rating insulation by its resistance to heat flow. The higher the R-value, the more effective the material is as an insulator.
So how do you decide which materials to use for your crawl space insulation? You should consider the following factors: climate and kind of crawlspace. The climate of the area that you’re living in will determine the R-value of the insulation you will buy. But it is always recommended that you get the highest R-value that you can afford. You also need to determine if your crawl space is ventilated or unventilated.
Crawl space insulation is probably one of the best home improvement investments you will ever make. So it is probably better to consult with a professional first, even if you intend to do the work yourself. This will enable you to avoid costly mistakes that you may have to correct later.