How Do I Know If I Need to Replace My Crawl Space Insulation?

A crawl space isn’t just a place where the pipes and ductwork of a house is conveniently stored. It’s part of the foundation and it has a profound impact on the way energy is consumed in a home. If the air from outside makes it inside your crawl space, it rises into your home and changes the temperature. Oftentimes, this leads to ACs and HVACs working overtime in order to keep the temperature stable. Not only does this raise your energy bills, it also shortens the appliances’ lifespan.

Old, weathered insulation material isn’t going to be as effective in trapping heat and airflow in a crawl space. Because of this, you need to check for signs of deterioration in your crawl space insulation. Typically, crawl spaces are insulated with fiberglass, which is an absorbent material. It takes in the moisture in the air and retains it, and if it absorbs too much, the weight of the moisture causes the material to sag and break apart. You should also touch the insulation when you inspect it, and if it’s moist, it needs to be replaced.

If you’ve got another material that isn’t fiberglass as insulation, another problem sign would be mold. Other materials are just as absorbent as fiberglass, but they are made of organic materials that mold can feast on. All the spores from the mold growth in your crawl space make their way into your home because there’s no insulation blocking the airways. If you see any mildew on your insulation, don’t touch it or spend too much time in your crawl space and call foundation repair experts that can help you install brand new insulation. Homes in Hickory, which see a lot of precipitation, need insulation that isn’t absorbent, doesn’t promote mold growth, and has a higher R-value than the traditional materials used in the industry.