How to Check Your Crawl Space Insulation

Your crawl space has more of a say over your home’s health than you might think. That’s why it’s especially important to keep all its elements – including its insulation – as healthy as possible. How do you go about checking your crawl space’s insulation, and when’s the best time to call in a professional?

Why Should You Insulate Your Crawl Space?

Your crawl space is a surprisingly sensitive part of your home. If you want to keep your home healthy, you’ll need to take steps to waterproof your crawl space.

When you insulate your home, you double-up on your protective measures. Thermal insulation serves as both an excellent temperature-control aid and a waterproofing measure, especially when coupled with a vapor barrier. This type of insulation helps you maintain a steady temperature inside your home. In doing so, it keeps your pipes from bursting. It also creates a physical barrier between your home and your lawn. You can invest in different types of insulation to create barriers of different widths and chemical influence.

What Good Does an Insulation Inspection Do?

Thermal insulation that doubles as a waterproofing measure doesn’t just keep your home warm. It also frequently comes into contact with the water that might otherwise make its way into your home.

As such, it’s especially important to check over your insulation on a regular basis. By inspecting your insulation, you can make sure it’s holding up as it should. Similarly, you can readily replace it before any basic damage starts to negatively impact your home. For example, insulation that’s not replaced or cared for can easily become a home for mold particles. If you want to keep your family and belongings safe, you’ll want to inspect your insulation at least once a year. Alternatively, consider giving your insulation a look at the beginning of every new season.

What Damage Signs Should You Look For?

Determining whether or not your insulation’s still good isn’t as challenging as you might think. If your insulation’s gone bad, you’ll start to see signs of water seepage and additional damage throughout your crawl space. Some of the most common signs include:

• Inconsistent temperatures throughout your home
• Increasing electric or heating bills
• Signs of seepage throughout your crawl space
• Mildew or mold
• Standing water

Note that these signs can also indicate foundation damage or a crack in your crawl space. If you want to definitively determine whether your insulation’s failed or something else has gone wrong, get in touch with one of the contractors working in your area.

How to Check Your Crawl Space Insulation

Unless you have the experience to back you up, you may want to have a professional inspect your crawl space insulation for you. That said, there are ways for you to inspect your insulation for damage.

You’ll want to consider some of the following if you want to give your crawl space a once-over:

• Find your insulation – If you didn’t build the home you’re living in, you may not know whether your crawl space’s insulation was installed inside of your home or outside of it. When in doubt, reach out to the previous owner or the appropriate construction team. They’ll be able to help you find your insulation so you can better inspect it.
• Classify your insulation – After you’ve found your insulation, it’s time to figure out what you’re working with. There are many different types of insulation homeowners can use to protect their crawl spaces. You’ll need to know if you’re working with foam board, for example, or fiberglass insulation. In knowing the difference, you’ll be able to keep a keener eye out for each type’s unique signs of damage.
• Start looking for damp spots – Of course, one of the easiest ways to look for damage is to find the parts of your insulation that are damp. You’ll only want to do this with the appropriate safety gear in place. Once you’re kitted out, you’ll be able to determine which sections of insulation need replacing.
• Listen to your nose – If you don’t feel as though you can trust your senses of touch or sight, you can always rely on your nose. Damaged insulation smells especially musty and moldy. If the mere scent of your crawl space sends you reeling, you’ll want to reach out to a professional for crawl space guidance.
• Keep an eye out for additional damage – Finally, be sure to look for signs of water damage beyond what you can see in your insulation.

Do you want to schedule an insulation inspection? Alternatively, do you want to learn more about your insulating options? You can get in touch with one of the professional foundation and crawl space repair professionals operating out of the Cleveland, OH, area today. You’ll benefit from a home inspection and a free quote on any installation or repair services you might need.