Crawl space cleanout, vapor barrier and insulation
Crawl spaces: cleanout, vapor barrier, insulation
The old plastic, fallen insulation and debris come out. A new vapor barrier goes down, taped tight around every post. Then the walls or the floor above get insulated. It is the fix for a cold floor over a crawl space.
Or text a photo to 740-590-5352.
What crawl space work covers
- Cleanout. Torn plastic, fallen batts, wood scraps and debris come out and get hauled away.
- Vapor barrier. New plastic over the ground, seams overlapped and taped, sealed around every post and pier.
- Insulation. Fiberglass or rock wool batts or foam on the walls or under the floor above.
- Rim joists. Often sealed at the same time. Rim joists.
What the code says about crawl space ground covers
For an unvented crawl space, Ohio's residential code (Section 408.3, effective March 1, 2024) calls for exposed earth to be covered with a continuous Class I vapor retarder
, joints overlapped 6 inches and sealed or taped, and edges run at least 6 inches up the stem wall and sealed [1]. The Department of Energy says a plastic ground cover should be installed regardless of whether the crawlspace is vented or unvented
[2].
What we find down there
The crawl spaces people call us about
Batts that fell to the dirt years ago. Torn plastic. Debris. If your floors are cold, there is a good chance it looks like this under your house.
Before and after
What we leave behind
“The rooms above the crawl space were consistently 10 degrees cooler in the winter than the rest of the house. This has dropped that variation by 50-60%.”
Coreland · crawl space and rim joists · Google review
“If you own a leaky, 100-year old house like ours, you’ll know how difficult it is to insulate all the parts that let in freezing cold draughts… Our house is now more comfortable from top to bottom.”
David · crawl spaces, rim joists and sills · Google review
Questions about this job
Why are my floors cold?
Over a crawl space, it is usually because the insulation under the floor has fallen down or was never there, and cold air moves freely under the house. That is the job: clean it out, put down a new vapor barrier, and insulate.
Do you insulate the floor or the crawl space walls?
It depends on the crawl space. The walls or the floor above get insulated with fiberglass or rock wool batts or foam. We tell you which and why when we look at it.
What does a vapor barrier do?
It covers the dirt so ground moisture does not rise into the crawl space. For an unvented crawl space, Ohio's residential code (Section 408.3, effective March 1, 2024) calls for exposed earth to be covered with a continuous Class I vapor retarder
, joints overlapped 6 inches and sealed or taped, and edges run at least 6 inches up the stem wall and sealed [1]. The Department of Energy says a plastic ground cover should be installed regardless of whether the crawlspace is vented or unvented
[2].
Get a price
Tell us about the job
A few details and a photo or two is all it takes. We call you back to set up a time to come out, measure, and give you one written price for the whole job.
Sources
- Ohio Board of Building Standards. Residential Code of Ohio, Chapter 4 Foundations (rule 4101:8-4-01, effective March 1, 2024), Section 408.3.
- U.S. Department of Energy, Building America Solution Center. Capillary Break at Crawlspace Floors: Polyethylene Lapped Up Walls and Piers.