Insulation, Radiant and Vapor Barriers - insulation in crawl space
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MsAnnie
05-26-02, 09:31 PM
I have a small unvented crawl space beneath an enclosed sunroom. A plumber was in there the other day to repair some hot water heating pipes. He said there was a lot of moisture in the crawl space. There is only one opening - small window. How do I ventilate this? Also, I noticed there is not insulation in there at all - this is in New Hampshire. Should I insulate the ceiling of the crawlspace the walls of the crawlspace foundation? And with what? You guys have helped me out on some other insulation questions-so I know someone will be able to help! Thanks.
the_tow_guy
05-27-02, 06:15 AM
This will probably be a multiple operation fix.
1. If the crawlspace has normal exposed floor joists overhead you can insulate with regular fiberglas insulation. Buy the proper width, cut to length, and place between joists. To ensure it stays up there install insulation supports which are small diameter wire that you wedge between the joists about every foot or so. Alternatively you can use craft-faced batts that have a flange that can be stapled to the joist to hold in place.
2. You can keep the moisture down by covering the bare ground with heavy plastic sheeting.
3. Would be a good idea to add some vents to the foundation to finish the job. Depending on what the foundation is made of this could be fairly easy to fairly hard (brick, concrete). As an alternative you could convert the small window for use as a vent by replacing it with a screen, but having at least one other vent would aid in the ventilation process.
1. If the crawlspace has normal exposed floor joists overhead you can insulate with regular fiberglas insulation. Buy the proper width, cut to length, and place between joists. To ensure it stays up there install insulation supports which are small diameter wire that you wedge between the joists about every foot or so. Alternatively you can use craft-faced batts that have a flange that can be stapled to the joist to hold in place.
2. You can keep the moisture down by covering the bare ground with heavy plastic sheeting.
3. Would be a good idea to add some vents to the foundation to finish the job. Depending on what the foundation is made of this could be fairly easy to fairly hard (brick, concrete). As an alternative you could convert the small window for use as a vent by replacing it with a screen, but having at least one other vent would aid in the ventilation process.