Crawl Space Before Air Sealing
This is the crawl space that our homeowner was worried about. She was right about it needing some work done. There is no vapor barrier, insulation, or air sealing. This means that air is swooping right into the house, which leads to moisture and temperature problems.
Attic Before Air Sealing
This attic does have insulation, but it definitely needs more and it could really use some air sealing along with it. An attic that is not air sealed typically makes for hot houses in the summer and cold houses in the winter.
Install Attic Super Deck
Pictured here is what we call an "attic super deck." This allows for us to insulate the the attic while still leaving an area that is accessible for the homeowner.
Attic Hatch Tent Cover
One of the largest openings that allows for major air leakage in the attic is the hatch. We had to make sure to treat this area too. That's why we installed an attic hatch tent cover. You can still easily access your attic while minimizing air leakage.
Blown in Cellulose Insulation
We can't just air seal the attic, we need to insulate it as well. We blew in enough cellulose insulation to bring levels up to the BPI recommended standard for this area (R-49).
Air Seal Crawl Space Walls
The walls in the crawl space also needed to be treated to make it work efficiently. We used spray foam to do this. Spray foam is great because it acts as an air sealer and an insulator at the same time.
Install Crawl Space Vapor Barrier
A vapor barrier is a very important part to treating a crawl space. A typical 1,000 square foot home with a dirt floor crawl space can evaporate 10 or more gallons of moisture into the home daily. This can lead to structural failure, mold and mildew, and electrical issues.
