Knowing how to insulate your crawlspace is a great way to cut energy bills and increase comfort. An unheated crawlspace can send cold air up through the floor of your home, making your heating system work harder and wasting energy. Adding fiberglass insulation batts between the joists in the crawlspace ceiling can keep the rooms above comfortable and lower your energy bills.
Here’s how to insulate your crawlspace:
- Always install the insulation with the vapor retarder toward the warm side of the structure in heating climates. In a vented crawlspace, the warm side is usually up, closest to the floor.
- The insulation should be installed all the way back at the end of each joist run so that it touches the band joist. You want complete coverage under the house.
- Water pipes should be insulated and you will need to insulate carefully around electrical wiring and boxes.
- Insulation should be placed around cross braces by cutting it and pushing it between the braces.
- Once the insulation is in place between the floor joists, insulation hangers or nylon straps can be used to hold the product in place.
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A 4- or 6-mil polyethylene vapor retarder should be laid down to completely cover the ground. Place rocks or bricks around the perimeter to hold it in place.
For more ideas and tips on how to insulate your crawlspace and other areas of the house, visit the www.insulateandsave.com.
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