When cold weather rolls in, take a moment to inspect the insulation in the basement crawl space of your home. In addition to helping cure cold floors, materials like plastic vapor barriers, subfloor insulation, and foundation wall insulation can help with musty smells, reduce your energy costs, and make it easier to heat your living space to a comfortable indoor temperature.
There are several common types of insulation. Fiberglass batts are affordable, spray foam insulation is convenient, and there are many benefits to using rigid foam insulation or closed-cell insulation kits.
If you need a reminder on why you should improve the insulation in your basement crawl space, these insights will motivate you into action:
- Improve energy efficiency. Proper insulation along the crawl space ceiling and joist bays improves energy loss, leading to a lower carbon footprint. With a well-insulated crawl space, an energy audit would show that it's easier and more efficient for your furnace to regulate indoor temperatures.
- Prevent frozen pipes. Minimizes the likelihood that pipes or your sump pump freeze or burst during cold weather due to uninsulated walls.
- Prevent mildew and mold growth. Both plastic vapor barriers and spray foam insulation create an air-tight seal that eliminates ground moisture penetration, especially in an unvented crawl space. The barrier reduces moisture buildup and prevents water damage. Vapor barriers also help with dirt floor crawl spaces, effectively making the area a more usable space without standing water. These moisture barriers do more than keep your crawl space dry. They regulate humidity, prevent the buildup of moisture, and make it easier to control mold growth and mildew.
- Enhance Indoor Air Quality. Reduces the entry of pollutants and allergens. By sealing gaps and preventing drafts, crawl space winterization can improve your IAQ.
- Protect structural integrity. Using closed-cell spray foam guards against moisture damage and is dense enough to reinforce structural elements. A layer of batt insulation can't do that. This type of insulation can be used on the crawl space walls and serve as insulation between floor joists to eliminate air leaks.
- Increases comfort. Crawl space insulation will help you maintain a more consistent temperature inside your home. Rigid foam board insulation is great for the concrete walls of your foundation.
- Pest Prevention. Sealing entry points and insulating the crawl space with cellulose insulation can help you avoid rodent and pest inspections. They won't be likely to gnaw through spray foam insulation.
- Preserves HVAC system efficiency. With better insulation around your heating ducts, the HVAC system doesn't have to work as hard to maintain the desired indoor temperature, leading to increased system efficiency and longevity.
- Long-term cost savings. Insulation upgrades aren't always cheap, but by preventing issues such as mold removal and remediation, moisture damage, and frozen pipes, crawl space winterization can lead to long-term cost savings on repairs and maintenance. It can even reduce the likelihood of foundation repairs! A more efficient home will also lead to lower energy bills.
- Home value preservation. A well-maintained and properly winterized crawl space can help maintain building codes. Insulated walls also contribute to the home's overall integrity, preserving its value over time.
