Crawl Space Entrance
We're in the basement, standing by the entrance to the crawl space.
Crawl Space
While in the crawl space, we observed that the walls lack sufficient insulation to properly insulate the house.
Crawl Space Ducts
The ductwork was operating efficiently without any significant leaks.
Ductwork
The ductwork has no leaks, and with the liner or encapsulation in place, the owner doesn't need to address any issues in the crawl space related to this. However, we are addressing the lack of insulation on the walls and the exposed rim joists.
Interior Crawl Space Wall
The entrance wall to the crawl space is an interior wall, so insulation isn't necessary. If it were an exterior entrance, we would insulate the walls with SilverGlo insulation and spray foam the rim joists. However, since it's an interior wall, none of this is required.
Exterior Wall Insulation Deficiencies
The encapsulation liner on the exterior walls doesn't provide sufficient insulation for the rooms above. Upon inspection of the rim joists, the exposed fiberglass insulation is barely effective in preventing outside air from infiltrating the home.
Exposed Rim Joists
As we inspect the exposed rim joists in the crawl space, it's evident that air can leak through them along the exterior walls. The absence of insulation to prevent this air leakage can lead to discomfort in the rooms above the crawl space and may also result in cold floors.
Leaky Rim Joist
Once more, we're faced with an exposed rim joist causing discomfort in the rooms above, resulting in colder floors and overall discomfort.
Back Walls Rim Joist
It's a bit difficult to see, but the rim joists along the back walls have been effectively spray foamed.
Spray Foamed Rim Joist
We applied spray foam to the rim joists and filled in any significant gaps to prevent air infiltration into the house and ensure the floors remain warm.
Spray Foamed Gaps & Rim Joists
We can access difficult-to-reach areas and apply spray foam to seal any significant gaps or rim joists where air penetration occurs.
Insulated Corner Wall
To prevent porous walls from allowing unwanted outside air into the home, we installed SilverGlo rigid foam boards on the exterior walls. We then sealed the rim joists with spray foam and used orange ZypFoam to fill any gaps between the SilverGlo boards.
Properly Insulated Wall
This crawl space wall is effectively insulated with SilverGlo rigid foam boards. We'll proceed to use orange ZypFoam to seal any remaining gaps between the SilverGlo boards. After the rim joists are spray foamed, this will complete the proper insulation of the crawl space.
Spray Foam & Wall Insulation
Upon closer inspection, we can observe that spray foam has been applied to the lower seams of the rim joists, while orange ZypFoam has been used in the upper seams. Additionally, the walls have been fitted with SilverGlo rigid foam boards and meticulously sealed at the seams with orange ZypFoam.
Crawl Space Insulated Walls
The rear exterior wall is effectively insulated with SilverGlo insulation, which prevents air from seeping into the walls and causing discomfort in the house.
Completed Crawl Space Insulation
Despite the previous installation of the encapsulation liner, the homeowner continued to experience cold floors and discomfort in the rooms above the crawl space. Upon inspection, we discovered that the previous contractor had neglected to insulate the exterior walls and had left the rim joists completely exposed, thus contributing to the homeowner's discomfort.
