Winterizing Your Crawl Space
Winterizing your crawl space is a must have if your home resides anywhere temperatures fall below 32 degrees. The Foundation Guys offers a turnkey and customizable winterization service to ensure your crawl space is performing at peak efficiency. By taking great care of that nasty place below the home, we can ensure you get exceptional comfort and air quality where it matters most… Inside the home!
What is Crawl Space Winterization?
Winterization is the process of preparing a crawl space for cold weather. Many crawl spaces in the United States are not prepared for winter, which can lead to frozen pipes and water damage. The Foundation Guys offer crawl space winterization services to ensure that your crawl space is ready for the winter months. This involves adding insulation and sealing air leaks in key areas such as the foundation walls, rim joists, subfloors, and vents. Proper winterization can help maintain a consistent temperature in the crawl space year-round and improve the energy efficiency of your home.
How Does Winterizing the Crawl Space Help My Home?
Properly winterizing your crawl space can greatly improve the comfort of your home. Up to 50% of air from the crawl space may migrate into the home due to the “Stack Effect”. Cold air from the crawl space can enter the living space, causing drafts and discomfort. By sealing air leaks and adding insulation, you can reduce the amount of cold air that enters the home.
Ignoring the crawl space can lead to problems such as frozen pipes and water damage, but by taking the time to winterize it, you can protect your home and improve its energy efficiency.
Some crawl space contractors may argue that insulating the crawl space is unnecessary. However, this opinion is not shared by The Foundation Guys or the Department of Energy. In fact, according to Energy.gov, the crawl space is one of the most important areas of a home to properly insulate. The Foundation Guys go above and beyond by following guidelines from BuildingScience.com for air sealing and insulating, to ensure that our work is of the highest quality. This includes not just insulating the crawl space, but also addressing issues such as humidity and soil gases, as outlined in our guide to crawl space waterproofing.
Key Areas to Insulate and Seal
The Foundation Guys has identified several important components that should be considered when winterizing a crawl space. These include the vents, foundation walls, rim joists, and subfloor. In order to properly winterize these areas, it may be necessary to use additional products and techniques to control humidity and address soil gases. By taking these steps, you can ensure that your crawl space is fully prepared for the winter months.
Sealing Crawl Space Vents
Sealing and insulating the crawl space vents can help prevent cold air from entering in the winter and warm, humid air from entering in the summer. While sealing the vents alone may not be sufficient to control humidity or keep the crawl space warm, adding insulation and sealing air leaks can provide added protection against the elements. Foundation walls are particularly vulnerable to cold temperatures, as they are directly exposed to the outside air. Many exterior crawl space walls are not insulated or properly sealed, which can allow cold air to enter the crawl space through gaps around plumbing and HVAC components. By insulating the foundation walls with foamboard or other materials, and sealing any gaps, you can prevent cold energy from entering the crawl space and keep it at a more consistent temperature. The Foundation Guys can help you properly seal and insulate your crawl space vents and foundation walls to improve the energy efficiency and comfort of your home.
Subfloor Insulation
Vented crawl spaces typically require insulation under the floor, also known as subfloor insulation. However, sealed crawl spaces do not typically require this type of insulation, as foundation wall insulation may be sufficient. If your crawl space already has subfloor insulation, it is generally not necessary to remove it unless it has been damaged or compromised by mold or moisture. In this case, it is recommended to remove and dispose of the damaged insulation. Once the crawl space has been properly sealed, you may choose to add new subfloor insulation if desired. Energy.gov recommends sealing the crawl space and adding insulation to help improve the energy efficiency and comfort of your home. Regardless of whether your crawl space has subfloor insulation or not, it is important to air seal the area to reduce drafts and improve overall comfort. By sealing gaps between the crawl space and living space, you can help keep your home at a more consistent temperature and reduce the need for your thermostat to turn on and off frequently.
Rim Joist Insulation
Rim joist insulation is an important aspect of winterizing a crawl space. The rim joist is a wood cavity above the exterior foundation wall that is prone to condensation due to its proximity to the outside temperatures. Many local codes require rim joist insulation, and the engineers at BuildingScience.com recommend it as a “critical seal.” By insulating and sealing the rim joists, you can prevent air movement up exterior walls, as well as prevent mold and wood rot fungus due to condensation. These measures can help protect your crawl space and improve the energy efficiency and comfort of your home.
In conclusion…
While winterizing your crawl space may save you money on energy costs, there are other important reasons to do so. Properly winterizing your crawl space can make your home more comfortable and improve your indoor air quality. For The Foundation Guys, the primary motivation for winterizing is to protect our families from poor indoor air quality. If you are interested in learning more about how we can help you improve your crawl space and overall home comfort, please don’t hesitate to contact us.