Insulating a crawlspace with pics


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Old 08-11-12, 05:54 PM
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Insulating a crawlspace with pics

We recently had a bathroom installed in our bedroom, which is in an addition with a crawlspace. However, we live in upstate NY where it gets a little chilly in the winter, sometimes upto -15F. I obviously have a concern about piping freezing. The addition is not very insulated as you can see from the pictures and we it gets much colder/hotter than the rest of the house. Therefore I have two goals:

1. Avoid the pipe freezing in the crawlspace.
2. Help get the room above a little warmer/cooler.

I'm thinking of using fiberglass insulation between the rafters first, then cover with foam insulation the entire length, or at least as much as I can fit through the opening to the crawlspace. I would appreciate if someone could respond suggesting the best product to use for maximum protection from freeze, as well as moisture and possibly rodents. Also, anything I have to know before I start insulating. It's pretty dry inside, plus I'm thinking of closing the two vents on opposite walls.

I'm also thinking of wrapping all the piping in fiberglass insulation, like used to wrap ductwork for additional benefit and in the last resort, adding a 4 inch duct to blow warm air inside that wrap jacket on very cold days.







 
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Old 08-11-12, 06:14 PM
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the best product to use for maximum protection from freeze, as well as moisture and possibly rodents. Also, anything I have to know before I start insulating. It's pretty dry inside, plus I'm thinking of closing the two vents on opposite walls.
The product isn't as important as the placement. Keep the insulation as close to the floor above as possible - between the joists where there aren't any pipes - but swag it under the pipes where you need to so that they're inside the insulated envelope.

I'm thinking of closing the two vents on opposite walls.
I wouldn't do that. I would leave them open year-round. Those foundation vents are there to keep the space dry. Closing them will invite problems, including damp, and therefore ineffective, insulation.

You can use the ZIP-Code Insulation Program to find the recommended R-value for the floor, and for the crawlspace walls, if you want to do something with those.
 
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Old 08-11-12, 07:11 PM
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I've heard from numerous pro's that vents in the crawlspace was the old method. Now they don't have them at all, but per code, crawlspaces are to be open to the rest of the house. What if I seal everything, but make a few holes in the basement wall?
 
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Old 08-11-12, 07:32 PM
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Retrofit the vents with thermostatically controlled vents ($12 at HD) They open in the summer and close in winter. Insulate the short wall/lookout area with either fiberglass or Roxul (choice). Is this crawlspace open to the remaining part of the house? It should be.
Not germane to the conversation, but those supports are not code compliant. There should be a poured footing, at least 12 x 12 with concrete foundation blocks to support the beam. What you have there will sink into the soft dirt and cause problems down the road.
Wrap your supply lines, but be sure to remove the existing clamps and insulate them fully, and re-strap them with larger perf strapping. Even a small space such as where you have an existing strap will cause freezing.
 
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Old 08-11-12, 07:57 PM
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I have a whirlpool tub in that corner, its between the wall and the jacks. I will check periodically to see if they hold, but eventually, I will probably add the footing with blocks.

I was thinking instead of wrapping the individual lines, have the insulation stapled to the floor joists on both sides, covering both the supply lines and the drain pipes, and adding some fiber above the lines. Or it should be wrapped around?
 
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Old 08-11-12, 08:41 PM
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I was thinking instead of wrapping the individual lines, have the insulation stapled to the floor joists on both sides, covering both the supply lines and the drain pipes, and adding some fiber above the lines.
Sounds like a plan. I would go easy on adding anything between the pipes and the floor. You essentially want to bring the pipes inside the conditioned space.
 
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Old 08-12-12, 03:36 AM
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That is why I suggested individual wrapping. You already have insulation in the joisting, negating any warm air that can pass it. In addition remove the vapor barrier under the joists, as you don't want it there. On the dirt and above the insulation on the warm side of the space is where you want it. Encapsulate the pipes in the insulation to bring it into the conditioned air, like Nashkat said or wrap them individually, BUT completely.
 
 

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