Crawl Space Insulation and Encapsulation - What You Need to know?

When it comes to protecting crawl space from water damage, Contractors opt for either insulation or Encapsulation services. Continue reading to explore both.

What is Encapsulation?

It means to wrap up or cover up the crawl space to protect the harmful effects of moisture, protecting the foundation and structure of the house. Insulation is the process of adding spray foam, fiberglass, or any other traditional insulating material for the thermal balance of the house. The critical sentence is that the best way to do insulation is when you do encapsulation. 

Why ix the insulation of crawl space necessary?

Crawl space is a shield bar for the protection of a house and its livers. It gets damaged mainly due to the moisture effects. Ruined by moisture, crawl spaces tend to look like the homes of fungus, algae, pollens, and other allergens. Encapsulation and insulation both are useful for moisture protection, but what about the cold floors in winters and abrupt hot temperatures in summers? The only way to handle thermal problems, heat transfers, and frozen pipes is insulation.

How does Contractor do the insulation of Crawl Space?

Insulation takes place by following steps. 

Check the drainage or water leakage.

The first and foremost step of insulation is to check any leakage. Foundation repair agency do it professionally. If there is any kind of water accumulation, they recommend adding a Sump pump in the crawl space. 

Removing the old insulation

The addition of the new insulating material requires removing the old one, which is only residual and wastes in the crawl space. It is done before insulation takes place.

Installation of insulating material 

Depending on the nature of the surroundings, contractors suggest the best suitable insulation material. It is fiberglass, foam, or rigid foam sheet. Rigid foam sheets are thought the best, while fiberglass sheets are considered to be old-fashioned. The most critical role of insulating material is to maintain the value of the house.

Air sealing of all the vents and openings to the exterior

This step is to properly seal the crawl space so that outward high air can not come into the house. Similarly hotter air in summers can not ruin the electricity bills of the house as high temperatures cause the AC and chiller to remain on all the time.

How Does Encapsulation Work

Encapsulation is done by following these steps.

Leakage or combustion check

At the beginning of encapsulation, contractors check water leakage HVAC duct. It is furnishing the crawl space so if there is any leakage in pipes, heater, or AC equipment. The accumulation of gases like carbon monoxide will be highly contagious to health. On the other hand, encapsulation over a moist surface will lead the house to smell nasty. 

Addition of a vapor barrier

Encapsulation consists of adding the vapor barrier. It can be plastic sheets, Aluminum foil, or other such materials that act as barriers to vapor or moisture originating from the earth. Crawl space is fully covered with these sheets that vary in size and quality. 

Contractors charge the cost per square feet of the space. The walls and ceilings are also included in the process of wrapping. These sheets are cut near the electrical and sanitary appliances. Double Tape is used to stick these sheets and tape to cover the cut places near the air handler-type utensils.

Closing and sealing of crawl space

A prudent portion of the crawl space repair is closing and sealing all the vents and openings to the exterior. A little neglect at this point turns all hard work into vain. The root cause will remain at its end. So seal carefully. 

Addition of the dehumidifier

Depending on the atmosphere of the house, a dehumidifier is a basic necessity.