Home Inspector: Spray Foam Best Choice for Insulating Crawl Spaces

When people in Detroit, Michigan need advice on how to fix household problems that would otherwise require an expert, they turn to Dwight Barnett. An expert in home repair, Barnett has seen it all; in a recent column in the Detroit News, he advised one homeowner to use spray foam when insulating a crawl space in his home.

Specifically, the question centered on a crawl space that is roughly 20 inches high; moreover, the room in question has 12-inch floor joists with rolled batt insulation. Barnett was asked what the proper tool would be to insulate the block walls to ensure as little condensation as possible forms between insulation and blocks. His response? Spray foam.

According to Barnett, spray foam is an optimal solution because rigid insulation cannot be employed in situations that call for tight spaces and those exact needs. Spray foam is an ideal choice, said Barnett, because it can help to insulate the perimeter foundation walls from the interior of the crawlspace, all the while providing a thermal barrier and an air barrier.

In fact, spray foam is a better overall solution than fiberglass because fiberglass can often contribute to condensation as it does not directly come in contact with the concrete block surface. Spray foam, on the other hand, does just that and seals off any extra spaces, ensuring no water can leak through.