"Here's a very recent article on Green Building Advisor that reinforces the issues to…"
Handling An Interesting Crawl Space
I am convinced that a client of mine is the victim of a shoddy crawl space ceiling insulation job, and that he should have it done right. He too in convinced.
So, the question is how best to address it.
The crawl space is only 200 sf, located below a single-room addition, with ducts in the floor. There are plenty of penetration through the floor and the sill boxes. Air is the least of our worries (it's the darn critters he wants to keep out, and reduced leakage is a bonus). The existing faced fiberglass batts (R-19) are showed into between the joists, with the kraft facing in the wrong direction. The batt insulation is only 5 years old, and it's condition has not been compromised.
The following is my proposed approach to the problem. Remove the existing batt insulation, apply a flash coat of closed-cell spray foam, cut batts to fit properly, install wire supports to keep batts flush with floor, and install a layer of house wrap to underside of joists to protect batt insulation. Sound like a winner to you pros?
Thanks in advance!
So, the question is how best to address it.
The crawl space is only 200 sf, located below a single-room addition, with ducts in the floor. There are plenty of penetration through the floor and the sill boxes. Air is the least of our worries (it's the darn critters he wants to keep out, and reduced leakage is a bonus). The existing faced fiberglass batts (R-19) are showed into between the joists, with the kraft facing in the wrong direction. The batt insulation is only 5 years old, and it's condition has not been compromised.
The following is my proposed approach to the problem. Remove the existing batt insulation, apply a flash coat of closed-cell spray foam, cut batts to fit properly, install wire supports to keep batts flush with floor, and install a layer of house wrap to underside of joists to protect batt insulation. Sound like a winner to you pros?
Thanks in advance!
Views: 314
Replies to This Discussion
-
Permalink Reply by Cory Chovanec on -
For the cellulose and rigid I wouldn't worry about the foaming of penetrations unless they are big enough to have a blow out in the living space.
For the fiberglass and rigid, I think foaming the perimeter to seal off any leaks would be good, but probably nothing other than that.
Good luck out there.
-
Permalink Reply by Patrick Michaelyan on -
Thanks, and thank you for your input Cory!
-
Permalink Reply by Don Hynek on
-
Housewrap as your blowing barrier makes a lot of sense, though it's like wall papering a ceiling getting it in place!!
I dunno about the foam board. Where I come from (cold climate) that might work with unfaced EPS board. But If you use foil-faced Thermax, that leaves you with a vapor retarder on the cold side of the assembly, doesn't it?? Great idea in an A/C-dominant climate. But that's a really bad idea here in Wisconsin.
-
Permalink Reply by Patrick Michaelyan on
-
Don you raise a couple of good points.
As to your points about the rigid foam, the foil facing would be on the cold side, but with Thermax you have foil facing on both sides. Also, I always do all within my power to achieve an effective air seal, which has eliminated any condensation-related issues in the past. Nevertheless, I am going to think further about the points you have raised.
Patrick
- ‹ Previous
- 1
- 2
- Next ›
Home Energy Pros
Home Energy Pros was founded by the developers of Home Energy Saver Pro (sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy, under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act) and brought to you in partnership with Home Energy magazine.
Latest Activity
David Eakin commented on Elisa Wood's blog post Momentum builds for energy efficiency...but is the wolf at the door?
Egr renovation posted a status"of course he is in paris but works around europe
http://ning.it/16KrbS7"
Egr renovation posted a status"i just find a good photogrpahe for your master piece
http://www.armanimage.com"
Meagan Foster posted eventsHomes 401: Green Rater Training
August 15, 2013 to August 16, 2013BPI Building Analyst Field Training
September 9, 2013 to September 12, 2013BPI Building Analyst Field Training
July 15, 2013 to July 18, 2013
Meagan Foster updated an eventEnergyLogic's RaterFest! at Black Hawk, CO
September 13, 2013 at 10am to September 15, 2013 at 12pm
Join us for one of the best home energy conferences available! This retreat will provide…See More
Meagan Foster updated an eventHomes 401: Green Rater Training at Berthoud, CO
June 25, 2013 to June 26, 2013
This highly interactive workshop builds upon the material presented in the online course, further…See More
Meagan Foster updated an eventHERS Rater Training - Online at Online
July 1, 2013 to July 26, 2013
NEW - our great RESNET HERS Rater online training is now completely self-paced, so you can start at…See More
Meagan Foster updated an eventBPI Building Analyst Training - Online at Online
June 3, 2013 to June 28, 2013
Join the EnergyLogic Academy for our BPI BA online training - we just went to a completely open…See More
© 2013 Created by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.
