Crawl Space Insulation Basics for Homeowners

When your house was first built, one of the things that the contractors did was make sure that your roof and floors had crawl space underneath them. If you’ve heard the term before, but you’re not exactly sure what crawl space is, basically it’s the small areas throughout your home that afford enough room for wiring and plumbing to get through them.

The reason why it’s important for these spaces to be insulated is because without insulation, you can end up developing moisture in your crawl spaces. Left unattended, that can lead to condensation on your wiring and plumbing. Plus, a lack of insulation can also increase your energy costs.

If after inspecting the various crawl spaces in your home, you realize that insulation is worn or lacking, the good news is you can insulate it yourself. If you’re interested in knowing how, here are five basic crawl space insulation tips:

Seal up your subfloor. The foundation for the floor of your house is known as a subfloor. This is where your house’s electrical wiring and plumbing are. When it comes to insulating your crawl space, it’s important that you seal this area up. The most effective way to do this is to apply some foam insulation. You can find foam insulation at an affordable price at your local Lowe’s or Home Depot.

Invest in some fiberglass batts. Another thing that you should do for your subfloor is to invest in some fiberglass batts. They provide additional insulation support and are easy to install. The key is to make sure that you put them in correctly. Otherwise, they will not provide the best protection. You can get tips on how to put in fiberglass batts by going to Family Handyman and putting “fiberglass batts” in the search field.

Insulate your pipes. When it comes to your plumbing, the best way to prevent condensation from building up and your pipes from freezing during the wintertime is to insulate them. As far as the best kind of insulation to use, foam or fiberglass are ideal. You can read more about how to insulate your pipes by going to DIY Network and putting “insulate pipes” in the search field.

Insulate your ducts. Suppose you went to a website like Stay Dry Basement Waterproofing in order to contact someone who works there so that you can get another crawl space insulation recommendation. Something that a customer service associate might suggest is that you insulate your HVAC ducts. It’s another good way to prevent heating loss. Today’s Homeowner has a feature on how to insulate HVAC ducts. Go to the site and put “how to insulate HVAC heating and cooling ductwork” in the search field.

Invest in a dehumidifier or sump pump. It’s pretty common for crawl spaces to experience humidity from time to time. If you happen to live in a climate where there is a lot of moisture in the air, consider investing in a dehumidifier. Or, if you’ve had some light flooding, go with a sump pump. Both will remove moisture while helping to further protect your crawl space and the insulation inside of it. For information on how to choose a great dehumidifier, visit ConsumerReports.org and put “dehumidifier reviews” in the search field. For tips on how to choose the right sump pump, Sump Pumps Direct.