If you’re in an older home with a crawl space, it’s likely not insulated. Many homeowners don’t know how to properly take care of the space.
How does it stack up?
Do you know what the stack effect is? Most people think of it as light, warm air naturally rising — but really, the cold, denser air is pushing that warm, light air up and away. If you haven’t properly insulated throughout the home, then you could also be losing heat through your attic.
If you live in an older home your crawl space has a simple dirt or gravel floor, it could be making it more difficult for you to heat your house.
When that cool air is gets in, if your crawl space isn’t built to stop that air from meeting the warm air in your home, your systems will have to work overtime to keep the place warm. Not to mention, without a vapour barrier, you could be creating unnecessary moisture, which could lead to issues like mould and rot on your floor joists.
How to insulate a crawl space
One way to deal with a cold crawl space is to make it part of the warm side of your house. You’ll need to close off the venting, insulate your foundation walls, and supply some heat to the space. To insulate the crawl space, I would use a closed cell, two-pound (907-gram) spray foam because it will act as both your vapour barrier and insulation. You could also use batt insulation, but don’t forget that you will also need to install a vapour barrier on the warm side of the insulation to keep the moisture out.
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