Do you have a crawl space or two in your home that are currently going unused? If so, you may need to ensure that you’re not falling prey to damp and mould growth! However, with the right tools, the best solutions, and a team of experts to hand, there are no reasons why you can’t take care of these issues safely and efficiently.
However, what’s really interesting about these common areas of the home is that they are primed for insulation. Crawl space insulation, believe it or not, may actually help to make your home that little bit more efficient! This means lower energy bills, and it also means that your property is doing its bit to care for the environment.
Your crawl spaces are also likely to be where you’ll find sump pumps. These are essential in helping to prevent home flooding.
Let’s take a closer look at how you can transform the way you use your crawl spaces for the better.
Crawl Space Encapsulation
As you can imagine, any gaps or spaces in your home are likely to create draughts, and to let hot air escape. This is going to be hugely inefficient! Unfortunately, if a crawl space is not ventilated, it’s at massive risk of developing damp conditions, as well as standing water. Therefore, you need to be proactive about how to manage these areas.
Crawl space encapsulation is a process through which you can set up a barrier to prevent vapour and moisture from running rife. This is where you might block build-up of water or set up waterproofing beneath your house. If your crawl spaces are not blocking moisture, they are only going to continue getting damp and mouldy as time goes by.
Therefore, encapsulation is just one way to make sure that your spaces are working as efficiently as possible for you. However, have you ever considered crawl space insulation if your crawl spaces are not ventilated?
Crawl Space Insulation Basics
It’s worth remembering that crawl spaces often split into two types – ventilated, and unventilated. For those spaces which aren’t ventilated, you should make a point of setting up some form of insulation. These are empty spaces which could help to warm up your home with just a few minor touches.
For example, you could install insulation foam to create barriers for draughts. You may also consider air leaks in your crawl spaces, too, which you will naturally need to patch up.
You can, of course, also insulate ventilated crawl spaces. However, the way that you do this, and the materials you use, are likely to be a little different to that which you’d use for an unventilated unit. For example, you might use fibreglass as a solution to seal off seams and joists. Essentially, when it comes to ventilated spaces, your aim is to create vapour barriers – while at the same time, locking in as much heat as you can.
Why Might This Help?
Installing a crawl space liner or foam will help to lock in as much heat as possible in your home. Working alongside with proper ventilation, it’s perfectly possible to prevent damp conditions and mould growth with just a few simple touches. However, as always, it’s a good idea to reach out to local experts who can help with this!
Crawl space insulation might not be the most obvious route to take when it comes to saving money on energy bills, however, it may surprise you just how effective this method of attack actually is. Crucially, if you have any gaps or spaces in your home which are letting cold air in, and letting warmth out, you are going to end up spending more money, and wasting more energy, on heating up your property.
Therefore, it makes sense to insulate as much of your home as you possibly can – even your crawl spaces and hard to reach areas! However, again, be sure to reach out to a team with years of expertise, and the right tools for the job.
Crawl Spaces and Sump Pumps
It is likely that your crawl spaces will also host a sump pump. Your home sump pump is a crucial component which helps to drain away excess water from your property. Therefore, it actively pumps potential flood water out of your home, therefore protecting you without you needing to reach for the sand bags.
It’s essential you flush and maintain your sump pump(s) regularly. This means, again, that having access to crawl spaces is ideal. Whether you are insulating or encapsulating your spaces, do always make sure that you have a regular sump pump testing and cleaning process in place with local experts.
Crawl Spaces are Handy!
Crawl spaces are actually more useful than you might think. Providing you use them efficiently, they can help you to keep your home warm and ventilate it to free you from damp and mould. However, you can also use them for storage spaces too – if you have anything you’re struggling to store elsewhere at home!
If you’d like to know more about crawl space insulation and how it might benefit your energy bills and comfort levels in the months and years to come, get in touch with LABS now for a free consultation!