When You Should Insulate the Underside of Your Floor in a Crawl Space

When You Should Insulate the Underside of Your Floor in a Crawl Space

How to insulate a crawl space? Before the final decision, we recommend you contact a professional and seek guidance over the best insulation plan for your crawl space. Call Reitzel Insulation; we will inspect your crawl space and provide you with the perfect insulation approach.  

Crawl space usually allows access to plumbing, electrical and ventilation within the house. It is one of the types of foundations built under houses for structural support. Crawl spaces are common; nearly 15% of homes have a crawl space.  

Crawl spaces are susceptible to excessive moisture, humidity and mildew and mould attacks. Mostly, you use crawl space for storage purposes; because it is too small to be used as living space. The crawl space is a small but significant area in your house. The environment inside your crawl space affects the air quality inside the house.  

Crawl spaces can be vented or non-vented, finished or unfinished. You cannot rely on a single insulation technique for all when you need to insulate the crawl space insulation. Invest in crawl space insulation only on a professional's advice; a perfectly insulated crawl space can save you energy costs, improve air quality, and reduce temperature fluctuations. While insulating a room with a crawl space under it, keep the following points in mind before you start. 

If Room is Heated with Radiators, Insulate the Underside of the Floor 

Baseboard heating or radiators are installed along the bottom of the wall. If the heat source in your room is a radiator, the best insulation option is to insulate the underside of the floor so the crawl space below will not be heated. Due to the location of a radiator, heat naturally rises between the floor and ceiling. This way, your room remains warm. Insulating the underside of the ground floor will prevent heat loss to the spaces below, such as a crawl space. Generally, insulation on the ground floor should be enough when you live on the upper floors - you do not need to insulate your floor space. Ask a professional to inspect the situation of the crawl space and to tell you how to proceed with insulation.  

Insulate the Exterior Walls of Crawl Space if Heating System is Forced Air

If the central heating system in your rooms uses air as a medium of air transfer, it is called forced-air heating. In such a case, you should do crawl space wall insulation. Also, you will need to insulate the walls of the crawl space if the floor is dirt or gravel. Insulating the exterior walls protects the under the main floor of the house. As the homeowner, prior to investing in underfloor insulation, you should hire experts to check the condition of the space and moisture problem. The biggest problem is excessive vapours and moisture, and before choosing an insulation method - you need to build a vapour barrier. A vapour barrier can benefit in reducing dampness and the use of dehumidifiers that consume energy.  

If the Crawl Space Area is too Tight, Insulate the Floor from the Top Side

In case you are worried about the inability to access your crawl space, there is a solution. Reitzel Insulation is an experienced insulation company in Waterloo, that provides solutions for your every insulation problem. You can insulate spaces that are even accessible from the underside. It is possible to open the floor from the top side and insulate it by installing a backer. Ultra-tile backer board is waterproof, provides insulation and when used alongside underfloor heating it results in decreased energy costs. For crawl space insulation always consult with a professional to know the best options. Ask them to inspect and take appropriate measures to prevent mould, bacteria, or fungus growth in the crawl spaces. 

Let Reitzel insulation Handle it 

Crawl space insulation can get tricky as various types of situations may arise. One of our insulation specialists will be at your service to give you the best course of action and service to insulate your crawl space. 

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