Complete Home Solutions Case Studies: Crawl Space Insulation in Deale, MD

Tuesday, November 8th, 2016 by Kelsey Harrison

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Challenge

Layne T. has this beautiful home in Deal, Maryland that she is in love with. The only problem that she had with it was that her rooms were consistently drafty. She couldn't manage to keep them cool in the summer or warm in the winter. Not only is that annoying for trying to find your right comfort level, but it can easily become expensive from constantly having to adjust your air conditioning/heating. That’s why, this Fall season, she decided to call up Complete Home Solutions.

Solution

We came out and performed one of our Home Energy Audits to diagnose some of Layne’s problem areas. We found that the majority of the problems stemmed from the crawl space. Before we could begin making our installations, we had to remove all of the existing insulation that was already down there. When the insulation gets old and damaged like that, it is simply no longer effective. Next, we went ahead and recommended for her to install a SmartSump Crawl Space Drainage system. This system has special features that keeps moisture from evaporating out of the sump hole. We also recommended that she install a CleanSpace crawl space encapsulation liner across the dirt flooring along with 2” of Closed Cell Spray Foam Insulation on the walls/rim joists in the space.

What all of these installations ultimately result in are lower humidity levels, much warmer floors for the upstairs, less drafts, and lower utility bills. Layne was excited about all of these benefits, but she was especially ecstatic to find that her home was now comfortable to live in! Now her home is both beautiful and comfortable.

Project Summary

Certified Inspector: Mervin Roussell

Installing Contractor: Complete Home Solutions

BEFORE The old insulation seen here at the top of the crawl space was old, musty, and no longer considered effective. The old, brown floor liner at the bottom was dirty and also ineffective.

AFTER We took all of the old insulation out to make way for the new installation upgrade. You can see the new, white, encapsulation liner that we installed over the floor. If you look at the walls, you can also see the Closed Cell Spray Foam Insulation that we sprayed in order to create an airtight break.

BEFORE Here's another angle featuring the old, musty insulation and floor liner.

AFTER Here's another great angle showing off the new floor liner.

BEFORE The old insulation is all torn up and practically falling off the ceiling.

AFTER The crawl space is all set up with its encapsulation liner and SmartSump Drainage system (that's that long pump you see going across the floor).

BEFORE The old pump system was not properly covered and allowed for moisture to escape into the space.

AFTER The new SmartSump Drainage system features a heavy, specially shaped sump liner to fit in crawl spaces, a cast iron pump with an automatic float switch (which monitors rising water levels in the sump), and an airtight lid that keeps moisture from evaporating out.