Alright, let us talk about crawl spaces. You are probably thinking about insulating your crawl space because your floors are cold, or your energy bills are high, or maybe you have some smells coming up from down below. It is good that you are thinking about this; it is an important part of your home's health, especially here in Big Sky, MT, where winter is very serious. But here is the deal: Big Sky Insulation has seen many people make common, and expensive, mistakes when they are trying to insulate their crawl space. You do not want to be one of them.
Mistake #1: Ignoring Moisture First
This is probably the biggest mistake Big Sky Insulation sees in Big Sky, MT. You can put a lot of Insulation into a damp crawl space, and you will just create a bigger problem. Think about it: our winters are long and cold in Big Sky, but we also get a lot of snowmelt in the spring. That water has to go somewhere. If your crawl space has exposed earth, that moisture is always evaporating and getting trapped.
Insulation, especially fiberglass Insulation, acts like a sponge when it gets wet. It loses its R-value, it sags, and it becomes a place for mold to grow. Big Sky Insulation has pulled out many batts of Insulation that are just heavy, moldy messes because someone tried to insulate before dealing with the water in Big Sky, MT. You will get musty odors, poor air quality, and eventually, wood rot in your Big Sky home.
Before you even think about Crawl Space Insulation, you need a solid Vapor Barrier. Big Sky Insulation is talking about 6-mil polyethylene, laid continuously over the entire ground, with all seams overlapped by at least six inches and taped. It needs to go up the foundation walls at least six inches and be sealed there too. If you have standing water, you have bigger issues that need to be fixed first, like exterior drainage or even a sump pump. Do not insulate a wet crawl space; fix the water problem first in Big Sky, MT. Big Sky Insulation provides Crawl Space Vapor Barrier services in Big Sky, MT.
Mistake #2: Thinking More Vents Solve Humidity
This one is a common mistake. Homeowners in Big Sky, MT think,