The Crawl Space Under Your Monrovia Home: Why It Needs to Be Lifted Into Your Conditioned Space

The Crawl Space Under Your Monrovia Home: Why It Needs to Be Lifted Into Your Conditioned Space

If you have a crawl space in your home, it’s probably not insulated. Most split level homes built in the early 1950s through the 1970s did not incorporate insulation into the structure. Instead, they left a vent in the side wall to allow moisture to escape. This is one of those things that sounds like common sense, but really isn’t. Even though the moisture is vented out when the atmosphere is drier than the crawl space, when it is the other way around, moisture is drawn into the concrete foundation.

As the warm, humid, summer air is drawn into the cooler space, the droplets condense on every surface in the area. Since fiberglass batting is the primary insulation for that area, it got wet and lost its insulating value. The insulation became a prime habitat for mildew and mold growth, leaving the floors cool and damp (and often rotting from beneath).

The first step in insulating your crawl space is to seal the vents. There are covers made specifically for this at most home improvement stores. If you can’t find one in your size, you can cut one out of plywood and caulk it into place.

Using rigid foam boards to insulate the interior of the crawl space is the best bet. They can be attached directly to the concrete with construction adhesive and have an R-value of between 6 and 7. Insulate the floor with a mat and vapor barrier. Do not re-insulate the floor from beneath.

Keep water from pooling up against the foundation walls by extending eave downspouts away from the home, grading walkways and planting beds so they drain away from the home, and if it is necessary, have a sump pump installed to remove excess pooling from the inside of the space.

Insulating a crawl space is a professional job, so call the pros at Air-Tro, Inc. We have been servicing the greater Los Angeles area since 1969 and have the knowledge and expertise to help make your home comfortable year round.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in the greater Monrovia, California area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).

Image courtesy of Shutterstock