Damaged Crawl Space Insulation in Midlothian, VA

Challenge

These homeowners in Midlothian, Virginia called us at The Drying Company, noticing that the insulation in their crawl space was damaged and falling away from the floor it was supposed to be insulating.

We sent out one of our professional Home performance Advisors to evaluate the situation and found that their fiberglass insulation was saturated with moisture, causing it to sag and pull apart in chunks. Fiberglass and other debris littered areas of the dirt crawl space floor, which was lined with a flimsy 6-mil vapor barrier full of rips, tears, and gaps. These gaps within the vapor barrier were allowing the earth’s moisture to rise into the crawl, increasing the relative humidity. The porous foundation walls, lined with open vents, are also allowing outside air and moisture to freely enter the crawl space, affecting the air quality, and increasing the relative humidity, resulting in mold and mildew growth on the floor joists and paper backing of the insulation. The homeowners wanted to address their concerns about the falling insulation and prevent it from reoccurring.

Solution

The solution that the homeowners decided on was to remove the fiberglass insulation from the crawl space, and instead insulate and seal the foundation walls and floor, protecting not only the home but the crawl space from outside influences. A heavy-duty CleanSpace vapor barrier was installed over the dirt flooring and wrapped around all piers to help block the moisture rising from the earth. We then blocked off the open vents lining the crawl space wall with foamboard and sealed it with can foam to reduce the flow of outside air and moisture. The rim and band and sill plate were also sealed with foam to reduce outside air and moisture infiltration.

We then applied 1½ inches of closed-cell spray foam to insulate and seal the foundation walls. The last thing to be installed is a high-performance dehumidifier, called the Sedona SaniDry. This dehumidifier regulates relative humidity and filters the air within the crawl space. A hygrometer is installed, allowing the homeowners to monitor the temperature and humidity inside their crawl space and their home. By insulating the foundation walls and controlling relative humidity, the homeowners will not need to worry about falling, damaged insulation again and have the added benefit of protecting their home from future moisture damage.

If you or someone you know is also experiencing moisture issues, musty odors, cold floors during the winter, or any other problem within the crawl space, then call us at The Drying Company and let us help you keep the outside, outside!