radon testing Fort Morgan CO
Crawl Space Vapor Barrier
The first step in making a crawl space effective is to
install a vapor barrier. Unfortunately, there are many homes with bare walls, which
makes it difficult to insulate a crawl space and is not covered by a vapor
barrier.
The crawl space is an area beneath the home where
garbage is kept and hazardous materials are stored. It also has many utilities
such as gas, electricity, water and sewer. These utilities will come in contact
with the surface of the foundation.
The concrete base of the home will have to be sealed,
which will not only help to protect the home from moisture, but it will provide
protection from ice dams that are common with crawl spaces. Water seeping into
the crawl space from below will damage the foundation of the home.
The surface of the foundation cannot absorb water, so
the crawl space cannot absorb snow and ice. To keep the crawl space dry, a
vapor barrier must be installed to keep out water and to keep moisture from the
concrete base of the home from getting trapped on the surface of the floor. The
vapor barrier should be installed above the concrete.
There are two types of vapor barriers available for
use in the crawl space. The first is called an open cell foam and the second is
called a closed cell foam. They are fairly similar.
The open cell foam absorbs more heat from the ground
beneath the home than a closed cell foam. However, closed cell foam keeps out
moisture and air that are near the surface of the wall. Closed cell foam is
more expensive.
The open cell foam will not allow moisture to enter
the home if the wall is separated from the crawl space. If the crawl space is
ventilated, the open cell foam will be effective, but the closed cell foam will
provide the same benefit. Crawl space ventilation is best provided by crawl
space fans or exhaust fans.
The installation of a vapor barrier in the crawl space
can be accomplished in two ways. The first is to build a surface vapor barrier
with double horizontal sheeting and using non-combustible materials, such as
plywood, vinyl, or polypropylene, to keep the vapor out of the crawl space.
The second method is to install a surface vapor
barrier with a vapor barrier that is double horizontal and is made with
non-combustible materials. This type of vapor barrier is called a fiberglass
vapor barrier. In most cases, a fiberglass vapor barrier will last longer than
a solid vapor barrier.
If a solid vapor barrier is not installed in the crawl
space, then the available options are limited. The homeowner can fix a wet spot
or repair the wall. But, he or she is not going to be able to prevent leakage
through the crawl space.
He or she can try to repair the wall and make it look
like it is waterproof, but in the end, a single problem may be left behind for
a lifetime. He or she will need to use both methods of installing a vapor
barrier in the crawl space to be effective. All of the options available are
available, but some are more effective than others.
The more effective the barrier, the more it costs, but
it will improve the security of the home and the comfort of the homeowner in
the long run. A solid barrier in the crawl space will not only keep out
moisture, but it will prevent a winter of bad rain.
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