3 Steps To Take For A More Energy Efficient Home

It's officially summertime in the Tri-State and many homeowners are turning up the air conditioning to keep cool. You may be worried about deciding on whether to stay comfortable on hot, sticky days or paying a pretty penny to keep cool. But I'm here to tell you, you don't have to! It's not too late to take important steps that will not only benefit your home's energy efficiency and health but your wallet too. 

If you have a vented crawl space under your house that is not properly sealed, you're literally throwing money down the drain and allowing unhealthy conditions thrive just below your feet.

It's not uncommon for homes to be constructed with vented crawl spaces. The traditional, "old-school" crawl space has openings or vents in crawl space walls that allow outside air to circulate below your living space. But this actually does more harm than good. Whatever is in your crawl space is actually in the rest of your home and affecting your living environment. This happens because of the "stack effect." The stack effect is air moving throughout the home from the top to the bottom. So open vents are allowing the warm outside air to enter into the crawl space and drawn upwards. This causes your AC to work overtime to cool down the house. Thus running up your energy bills. 

Open vents might as well be flashing welcome signs because they're inviting critters and other bugs into your home. The crawl space could also potentially flood from rainwater seeping through the vents.

SO how can you address these problems and create a healthier, energy-efficient home?

Step 1: Close Crawl Space Vents

We can close off the open vents by sealing the vents on the inside of the crawl space. This seals the air out because of its ability to expand to completely fill in any gaps or holes. It also helps provide a barrier to water vapor and leaks.

Step 2: Insulate the Crawl Space

Fiberglass insulation in a crawl space can easily fail because it tends to soak up moisture and humidity, which causes mold to grow, and will eventually cause it to "drip" off the ceiling. Our SilverGlo insulation panels have tiny particles that reflect heat and lower the material's conductivity for superior R-value per inch. They're water-resistant panels that are two inches thick and can be installed on the crawl space walls or on the rim joists. A similar product, TerraBlock, can be installed on the crawl space floor before encapsulating to insulate and cushion the floor.

Step 3: Properly Encapsulate the Crawl Space

Crawl spaces that already have a plastic liner that covers the dirt or gravel, can trap moisture and lead to mold growth. Healthy Spaces install a moisture and vapor barrier that's very similar to a swimming pool liner. The CleanSpace liner has an antimicrobial coating and completely isolates your home from the earth. By keeping your crawl space dry, you protect your structure and insulation from mold and rot. 

Are you ready to benefit from an energy-efficient home this summer? Contact us today for your free inspection and estimate. 

Healthy Spaces services Henderson, Newburgh, Madisonville, Vincennes, Haubstadt, Washington, Jasper and many nearby areas in Indiana and Kentucky.