Basements, Attics and Crawl Spaces - Crawlspace insulation
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chubbychaser
10-19-09, 12:03 PM
The mice and chipmunks have the fiberglass bat insulation under the floor all hanging. I know it's animals because I find acorn shells among the fiberglass, and fiberglass in the woodpile outside. Is there a type of insulation that is not attractive to animals? I was thinking of tacking up plastic sheeting from joist to joist.
shane21
10-19-09, 10:18 PM
I suggest checking the sticky about insulation as there may be something in there about pests. I would suspect they like the nesting material/warmth that fiberglass provides so the only fool-proof solution is to keep them out of the crawl space. I think they will just chew through the plastic AND if the crawlspace were insulated correctly (paper face toward the heated space) then adding plastic would trap moisture in the insulation making it useless.
I'd ask this question in the insulation forum and see what advice you get. I think if I had your problem and I couldn't prevent them from getting into the crawl space I'd rip down the fiberglass and install some rigid foam insulation. I don't know if that would keep them out but it would be easy to see if they are getting in as long as you install it correctly sealing all gaps. Plus you could patch the small holes easily if they do get in.
I'd ask this question in the insulation forum and see what advice you get. I think if I had your problem and I couldn't prevent them from getting into the crawl space I'd rip down the fiberglass and install some rigid foam insulation. I don't know if that would keep them out but it would be easy to see if they are getting in as long as you install it correctly sealing all gaps. Plus you could patch the small holes easily if they do get in.
Bud9051
10-20-09, 08:00 AM
Hi chubbychaser and welcome to the forum.
shane is correct, the critters can and will go through the plastic. Bees and ants like the rigid foam along with mice and their bigger cousin. I've seen the four legged critters go right through osb, plywood and framing members. If they can sense any warmth they will go for it. You would too if you lived in their cold world.
If you have pipes and ducts in the crawl space it is usually best to seal the walls. How best to do that depends on your walls. If you have a dirt floor, it should be covered with a thick vapor barrier and sealed up along the walls about 6' or a foot. Once the crawl space becomes more air tight, you will want to seal out that moisture. A stone foundation presents a challenge, but I have seen mortar squeezed into the cracks with what looked like a big cake decorating bag. Messy, but it actually went rather fast and once set, they sprayed the inside with foam and it came out very nice. You can use just foam, but the cement will do a better job of stopping the critters.
Bud
shane is correct, the critters can and will go through the plastic. Bees and ants like the rigid foam along with mice and their bigger cousin. I've seen the four legged critters go right through osb, plywood and framing members. If they can sense any warmth they will go for it. You would too if you lived in their cold world.
If you have pipes and ducts in the crawl space it is usually best to seal the walls. How best to do that depends on your walls. If you have a dirt floor, it should be covered with a thick vapor barrier and sealed up along the walls about 6' or a foot. Once the crawl space becomes more air tight, you will want to seal out that moisture. A stone foundation presents a challenge, but I have seen mortar squeezed into the cracks with what looked like a big cake decorating bag. Messy, but it actually went rather fast and once set, they sprayed the inside with foam and it came out very nice. You can use just foam, but the cement will do a better job of stopping the critters.
Bud