Crawl Space Insulation In Albany, New York

Is Your Crawl Space Properly Insulated?

The crawl space in your home is a shallow concrete or block structure that is installed directly beneath your home, dug right into the dirt. Because of the crawl spaces contact with the earth they can soak up the natural cold from the ground. The cold can then be transferred through your foundation walls and into your home. This can cause moisture problems, mold, mildew, and also requires your HVAC system to work harder to keep your home comfortable. If you have a water heater or hot water pipes in your crawlspace you'll be wasting energy keeping everything warm.

If this describes your home or building then properly installed crawl space insulation could make a significant difference in your comfort and energy bills.

Epic Building Solutions is a full service insulation contractor based out of Albany, New York and serving the surrounding area. We specialize in the installation of rigid foam crawl space insulation into older and newer homes. The foam insulation that we use is a durable, long lasting insulation product that has proven to work exceptionally well in a crawl space environment.

How Do You Know If You Have Crawl Space Insulation Problems?

  • Rodents and other pests are getting into your fiberglass insulation installed between the floor joists in your crawl space.
  • During the cold winter months your heating system is constantly running just to keep comfortable in the rooms directly above the crawl space.
  • The floor directly above the crawl space is very cold on your feet during the winter.
  • You have visible signs of moisture problems such as mold, mildew, or a musty smell in your crawl space.
  • The original fiberglass insulation is clearly damaged or falling out of the floor joists.

Many older homes have incorrect or inefficient crawl space insulation

Years ago, when many of the homes throughout New York were built the best way we knew of to insulate a crawl space was to simply install fiberglass batt insulation between the floor joists and then add ventilation so that outside air could circulate throughout the crawl space and beneath your home or building.

This system usually resulted in excess moisture and humidity forming in the crawl space and the old fiberglass insulation doesn't do very well in these conditions. It collects the moisture, loses insulation value, and can cause mold, mildew, and even wood rot on your floor joists. The reason this method was so popular was because it was cheap and easy to do! Now, many years later, and with more knowledge and advances in insulation technology we now know this wasn't really the best method. There are thousands of homes throughout New York that still have this old, outdated, and inefficient crawl space insulation in place.

Nowadays the best product for insulating a crawl space is rigid foam insulation. It's a much more effective solution, is impervious to water and moisture, doesn't attract rodents or pests, and is resistant to mold and mildew. The good news is that your older home can be retrofitted with rigid foam insulation in your crawl space without too much difficulty.

What Makes Rigid Foam Insulation The Best Solution For Your Crawl Space Insulation?

  • It's More Effective At Air Sealing- Fiberglass insulation isn't very good at stopping air movement. When rigid foam is installed the joints between the foam panels are taped. This creates a seal that can prevent wasteful air leaks.
  • It's More Stable and reliable - Rigid foam panels will not compress, or lose their R-value due to excess moisture or humidity. They are securely fastened in place so they will not fall or "hang down" like traditional fiberglass insulation.
  • Impervious To Water & Moisture - Rigid foam cannot absorb the ambient moisture or water so it cannot be damaged or destroyed by it.
  • Mold Resistant - Rigid foam contains no organic materials so it's difficult for mold and mildew to take hold because it doesn't have a food source. It creates a very unfriendly environment for mold.
  • It's Long Lasting - Rigid foam is truly a lifetime home energy and comfort upgrade. It will perform just as well when it's 20 years old as it did the first day it was installed.

If you'd like to receive an estimate to install rigid foam crawl space insulation into your New York home please give us a call (518) 801-0809 or fill out our online form and someone will get back to you quickly.