NOBODY UNDERSTANDS THE SCIENCE OF BUILDING BETTER THAN GREEN BUILDING SOLUTIONS. IF YOU WANT TO CREATE A THERMALLY EFFICIENT AND AIR TIGHT SPACE, IT’S NOT ENOUGH JUST TO INSULATE. YOU MUST CHOOSE THE RIGHT INSULATION AND AIR SEALING SYSTEM FOR THE APPLICATION, AND BE SURE IT’S PROPERLY INSTALLED.
Crawl Spaces & Basement Insulation and Remediation
There may not be an area of the home that creates a bigger hazard to the occupants’ health than that of a typical crawlspace.
Most homes with crawlspaces, are not properly insulated for moisture control and this can pose health concerns for the occupants, especially children.
Lack of properly sealed and insulated crawlspace can allow deadly and odorless gases to affect occupants. It can also become breeding ground for insects, rodents, and mold. In addition, it could cause damage to the foundation and the floor system.
The Stack Effect
Crawl spaces are often damp, humid spaces due to water runoff from rain, irrigation systems, or an elevated water table. While the building code requires crawl space ventilation, this ventilation does virtually nothing to mitigate moisture problems and can actually make moisture problems worse.
Houses operate like chimneys.
If you introduce a hole at the bottom of a chimney, a natural draft ensues as air exits the top of the chimney.
This is called the stack effect.
Attic ventilation is the top of the chimney and crawlspace ventilation is the bottom.
As air is drawn up through your house, moisture, mold spores, odors and soil gases from the crawl space find their way into the living space.
The Solution
Crawl space encapsulation involves sealing the underside of the floor with a Closed Cell Polyurethane spray foam application and covering the ground using a tough 15-20 mil, reinforced polyethylene sheeting (not some thin 6 mil poly) taped carefully at the seams and adhered to the top or bottom of the concrete foundation wall.
Sealing up all ventilation entering the crawl space is a specification ‘if’ it is decided that ventilation is not necessary for mechanicals. Sealed below this sheeting are soil gases, moisture, water vapor, and odors that typically would be drawn up into the living
We are very proud of our projects because our specs are superior and our prices even better! We do not pay any enormous franchise or licensing fees to national companies and therefore, we are able to design a system that fits your home and your budget.
