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I had my crawlspace encapsulated 4 years ago (not a total encapsulation really a semi). All the batting was removed from the joists above (mice had torn it up pretty bad - that was one reason for doing this) and the walls were insulated with a reflective rigid foam insulation board. A good 12 mil vapor barrier was taped in. I had 3 lights put in along with the dehumidifier.
Cost was around 6000 - worth every penny.
You already had some subfloor insulation before this, but have you noticed any difference on the climate inside your home after doing this? Easier to keep heat/cool?
You already had some subfloor insulation before this, but have you noticed any difference on the climate inside your home after doing this? Easier to keep heat/cool?
My house is pretty tight, didn’t have a problem heating or cooling it. My goal was to reduce the excessive humidity down there, to prevent the entry of rodents, and make it not such an ordeal to go under the house. I had a new HVAC installed 10 years ago and that definitely reduced my bills.
For those of us in the south...if a crawlspace is encapsulated, how is it inspected for termites?
The company doing the encapsulation leaves the liner on the floor and wall lower than the bandboard and the sill plate so that they can see if there are any termite tunnels running to them or damage in them. I always had my crawlspace inspected annually and had a termite bond on the house as well considering how damp the soil was where I lived. Termites were very common there and there was previous damage that had been corrected. However, once I encapsulated the crawlspace and dehumidified it there were no further problems.
For those of us in the south...if a crawlspace is encapsulated, how is it inspected for termites?
As per recommended by my termite company, I did not do a "full" encapsulation. There is a several-inches width of wood above the foamboard where inspection is done. This is what my crawlspace looks like:
Thank y'all for your help. It is very frustrating making a decision since there seems to be no real industry standard. I have lots of questions. It seems everyone is jumping on the bandwagon now from pest control companies to HVAC to insulation to companies which started out in drainage.
(One thing is for sure...I'm going to have to go under and get a better look and I always get fussed at when I do that; there is no assurance I will come out without being dragged out.)
Thank y'all for your help. It is very frustrating making a decision since there seems to be no real industry standard. I have lots of questions. It seems everyone is jumping on the bandwagon now from pest control companies to HVAC to insulation to companies which started out in drainage.
(One thing is for sure...I'm going to have to go under and get a better look and I always get fussed at when I do that; there is no assurance I will come out without being dragged out.)
It's not a "recent" bandwagon. This has been recommended in my area for many years.
Sounds to me like you need to learn more about crawlspaces. This website is chock full of information, and has links to several studies. It is targeted to the southeast as humidity is higher and crawlspaces are always an issue in this area. Read up!!
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