Crawlspace Insulation by Cleveland Home Insulation - Northern Ohio Insulation Specialists

The way that crawlspace insulation is installed has changed dramatically over time - previous methods were found to fail easily and often

  In the past, insulation was used on the ceilings of Ohio crawlspaces, many homeowners and construction contractors used Fiberglass batting because of the affordable price and ease of installation.  Over time, it was discovered that this process of insulating the ceiling with fiberglass was a terrible idea.  Homeowners noticed that gravity was pulling down the insulation, and that it often was heavy with water and mold.  Due to this disaster, millions of crawlspaces that were supposed to be insulated across Ohio, were under-performing, and even causing health issues due to mold. 

 The best alternative method discovered was to insulate the walls of the crawlspaces, and spray foam insulation was found to be an excellent type of insulation for the wet and humid conditions found in crawlspaces.  The spray foam insulation that we use will reject water and stop air movement.  No moisture barrier (plastic liners) are required because the spray foam in impermeable to water and air.  Further, insulating the walls instead of the ceiling takes up less square footage, meaning less costs for the customer!  Its Win-Win!   

Vented Crawlspaces - a negative in the Northern States

Another common technique of the past was to vent the crawlspaces to daylight, the thinking was that air would dry out the under area of the home and keep the insulation and home more dry.  This worked like a charm in the South, where snow and frigid winters are more mild or even non-existent. 

Further North this was not the case, our Ohio winter and fall air bring moisture into vented crawlspaces, causing moldy insulation, falling insulation, and left moisture on surfaces that seeped into construction materials, the drywall and wooden beams that made up the home.  If you have a vented crawlspace, call Cleveland Home Insulation to remove the venting and properly insulate your crawlspace.

What about foam boards? - Why we don't use them

Many companies and forum boards online will use or suggest the use of Rigid Foam Boards for the walls of your crawlspace.  These are preformed panels of foam insulation that can be cut to size and placed into their end location.  It is our opinion that this method is too time consuming, requiring a few days (and possibly more staff, meaning more $$$) rather than a few hours to complete the project.  This actually makes costs higher because of the increased man hours needed to cut, place, and tape the boards.  We feel that this would be a disservice to our customers.  Even though spray foam is a more expensive material than foam boards, the time saved in man hours makes it more cost effective to offer to customers. 

Take a look at your crawlspace

Notice the type of insulation that is present, or notice if none is present.  Do you see a vent to daylight? (meaning can you see through the vent into the crawlspace, from the outside?)  Does any insulation appear out of place?  And finally, do you see any mold or damages?  If the answer to any of these questions is 'Yes', then give us a call at (216) 264-0848 for a free quote and inspection!  Don't suffer from drafts and cold floors any longer!