Schedule Annual Maintenance

Proudly Serving Williamsburg, Newport News, North Chesterfield, Richmond, and Henrico

Proudly Serving Greater Richmond & Nearby

1-757-566-8622

or Contact Us Online

Photo Gallery

Home»Crawl Space Repair»Photo Gallery»Spray Foam & CleanSpace in a Williamsburg, VA Crawl Space

Crawl Space Repair Photo Album: Spray Foam & CleanSpace in a Williamsburg, VA Crawl Space

This homeowner reached out when they noticed that the insulation in their crawl space needed to be replaced. They also wanted an assessment of the space and any options for upgrading the space instead of just replacing the insulation. After reviewing their options, the homeowners determined to encapsulate the space with CleanSpace Vapor Barrier, Closed Cell Spray Foam, and Dehumidifier. This seals the crawl space from outside air and moisture infiltration and controls the relative humidity in the crawl space. The homeowners now have the peace of mind that they won’t have to replace the insulation in the crawl space again, and their home is healthier, more energy-efficient, and they will have warmer floors and fewer drafts in the winter.

Falling Fiberglass Insulation

Fiberglass insulation absorbs moisture like a sponge, soaking up the excess moisture and humidity in the air. Moisture damages the fibers of the material causing the layers to separate from one another resulting in insulation "dripping" from the floors. Saturated, the insulation becomes heavier and falls from the floors leaving the homeowners with no insulation under their feet.

6 - mil vapor barrier

A 6 - mil vapor barrier is about as durable as a trash bag. It is easily torn, damaged, and displaced as service persons and critters move through the crawl space. The material is too flimsy to seal to the walls or wrap around piers without it tearing off and has a slick coating, so taping the seams to seal them does not work. This means that moisture from the earth is rising into the crawl space and increasing the relative humidity.

Relative Humidity

Relative Humidity (RH) is how full of moisture the air at that temperature is. When RH reaches 100%, we get rain, at 60% RH mold can grow. In a crawl space, mold uses the floor joists, subfloor, and paper backing of fiberglass insulation as a food source. In this crawl space, we read a 65.3% RH and found mold present in the space.

CleanSpace Vapor Barrier

After cleaning out the crawl space, a new, heavy-duty vapor barrier is installed. The liner is sealed at all seams, wrapped and sealed around all piers, and attached and sealed to the crawl space walls 6-8 inches above outside grade. The CleanSpace liner is now sealing the crawl space from the earth's moisture.

Crawl Space Door

The exterior crawl space door does not offer any air sealing or insulating properties, leaving a big hole in the system we are installing. This is why we developed the Friction-Fit Interior Crawl Space Door. This door air seals and insulates behind the exterior door.

Spray Foam Insulation

An R-10 of closed-cell spray foam insulation is installed on the foundation walls, leaving a 2" viewing strip at the top of the foundation wall for termite inspections. Foam is also used to seal the rim and band, sill plate, and vents as well as any penetrations through the foundation wall to outside. This reduces the air carrying moisture from flooding into the crawl space and raising the relative humidity.