A crawl space can be a dark, damp, and miserable place to be — but did you know that an uncomfortable crawl space can also make for an uncomfortable (and inefficient) home? In this blog, Worley’s will get into the many ways the area underneath your feet can affect the air in the rest of your living space, how you can identify the issues that could be costing you, and which home improvement services will resolve them.
“Stacking Up” Home Performance
None of the rooms or spaces in your home operate like an island — they are all connected. The same goes for the many systems we rely on to keep our homes comfortable! Changes in your attic insulation can actually affect the temperatures in your home, which will have an effect on your heating and cooling equipment. This is explained in a building science principle called the “stack effect.”
In the wintertime, the air and heat inside your home are looking to escape to the cooler temperatures outside. Indoor air will do this through windows, doors, and even tiny air gaps hidden throughout your home (most often in the attic), and heat can escape through the materials of your home via conduction. When indoor air escapes, it creates a negative pressure that will suck unconditioned outdoor air back inside from other air holes and gaps.
In short, as the warm air from your furnace heats up your home, it can escape through an under-insulated and leaky attic. That air is then replaced with colder, wetter air from the leaks in the crawl space, which will result in:
- Indoor drafts
- Increased indoor air contaminants
- Reduced furnace efficiency
- Inconsistent room-to-room temps
Crawl Space Insulation and Encapsulation
One of the important steps in preventing the lack of comfort and added expense of the stack effect is fully encapsulating the crawl space with an airtight seal and proper insulation. This process includes installing a plastic liner on the ground and using expanding spray foam to seal up any and all air leaks for an airtight seal.
When it comes to insulating the crawl space, there are three areas to consider insulating – the rim joists, the floor joists, and the walls. Choosing the right insulation for the right areas is exactly why you choose an experienced insulation contractor like Worley’s!
Schedule a Crawl Space Inspection
Encapsulating a crawl space here in the 757 is not a DIY job. Worley’s Home Services relies on the latest building science technology to make visible what we can’t see with the naked eye, like infrared imaging and other diagnostic equipment.
For those looking to get the most out of their crawl space encapsulation and insulation, scheduling a crawl space inspection will uncover the condition of your:
- Floor joists
- Crawl space insulation
- Crawl space’s perimeter sealing
- Ground barrier sealing
- Ducts and ductwork insulation
As well as your moisture levels, and signs of pests, rodents, and mold.
The more you know about the state of your crawl space, the more effective Worley’s can make your crawl space upgrade! Schedule an inspection today.
