Install Insulation In a Crawl Space

LESLIE: Hamilton in Texas needs some help warming the floors at his money pit. What can we do for you?

HAMILTON: Well, I would like to know if I can use a foam insulation underneath my house – it’s a pier-and-beam (ph) – to warm up the floors in the winter time. And I’m sure it’s leaking out. It’s cool in the summer but maybe not so much.

TOM: Is that because you feel like it’s too difficult to install fiberglass insulation, so you want use spray foam insulation?

HAMILTON: Well, that’s what I thought. If there’s – I guess if there’s a significant difference in the price or effectiveness …

TOM: There will be. Yeah, well applying a spray foam insulation is going to be a lot more expensive than fiberglass. If you can find a way to make unfaced fiberglass batts work, that would be your best option. Plus, in a crawlspace, it’s so critical that you retain access to all of the plumbing and electrical fixtures, so we don’t want you to bury those under any spray foam insulation.

HAMILTON: Oh, OK. I hadn’t thought of that.

TOM: Yep. Yeah, I would prefer to see you, at this point, just use fiberglass. I think it’s going to be a lot more manageable and it’ll do the job that you need it to do.

HAMILTON: So then – and then how is that installed?

TOM: OK, well, what are the centers that your floor joists are on? You said …

HAMILTON: I think that they’re on maybe 14-inch centers. They’re less than 16, I know.

TOM: OK. Well, standard batts of insulation are 15 inches wide, so you would support that with wire insulation holders. They basically go in between the beams. They’re a little bit longer. They’re like 16 or 17 inches long. You can actually cut them if you need to and you sort of bend them and stick them up in between the beams and that presses the insulation up against the floor. But try to put it in as loose as you can because that makes it work a lot better.

HAMILTON: OK. OK, good. Well, I appreciate it very much. Let you know if we have warm feet.

(Leslie chuckles)

TOM: I bet you will. Thanks so much for calling us at 1-888-MONEY-PIT.