Should I Insulate Floor Over Crawl Space In South Carolina

Make moisture control a priority warns chuck henrichsen owner of clean crawls a seattle insulation firm.

Should i insulate floor over crawl space in south carolina. This is done several ways. This is essentially a concrete barrier meant to help control moisture in the crawl space. However the insulation needs to be treated with a fire retardant. At carolina energy conservation we can improve the condition of your crawl space and the living space above with products that are durable long lasting.

There are two types of crawl spaces ventilated and unventilated and each requires its own form of insulation. Insulation also helps to preserve the air quality and reduce energy costs. Department of energy recommends r 11 3 insulation under floors in warm climates and an r 25 6 to 8 in cold climates. As building science has progressed over the years they found that this actually led to more problems.

If you don t your crawl space becomes a petri dish with crawl space sealed off from cold and moisture your crawl space can be linked to your household hvac system via vents. In this design a concrete pad called a mud pad is poured on the crawl space floor. These r values are a sum meaning this should be the total r value once you add up the entire depth of insulation. A crawl space under a house helps protect against certain pests but a crawl space with abundant moisture can invite problems including mold wood rot and vermin.

Cold air that sweeps through a crawl space meanwhile can lead to cold floors inside the home whether or not the space is wet. The traditional mud pad is a poured concrete pad over a roughly graded dirt floor. For your crawl space insulation to perform like it should it s essential to install the right type of insulation the right amount of insulation and use the correct installation technique. Find your zone on the map and then use the above insulation r value chart to determine the level of insulation you need to properly insulate your attic walls floors and crawlspaces.

This type of insulation allows for conditioned air to be introduced into the crawl space. Crawl space vents crawl space vents were originally designed to allow moisture out of your crawl space to prevent rotting of your floor joists and prevent mold from growing. To enclose the space in a thermal envelope. In those days common building practice was to insulate the floor above the crawl space and to leave the crawl space s wall vents open so any moisture buildup would vent to the outside a.

Fiberglass insulation batts or rolls are the most economical and easiest diy choice for insulating between the floor joist in a crawl space. Without insulation heat and cool air are easily lost through the floor.