Crawlspace Insulation Can Cut Energy Costs in Your Salem, Home 

Did you know that nine out of 10 U.S. homeowners have insufficient insulation? ENERGY STAR® estimates that adding insulation to your home can cut your energy costs by 10 percent overall.

Adequate insulation in your home not only improves comfort—it helps you save money.

Day Energy Solutions is proud to offer second-to-none insulation services for our Oregon customers. We insulate wall cavities, attics, ceilings, and other spaces with a wide range of insulating materials. Insulating your crawlspace is a critical step in boosting your home’s energy efficiency, comfort, and even its structural integrity.

What Are the Benefits of Crawlspace Insulation?

It’s a bit of an investment, but having your crawlspace professionally insulated has many long-term benefits. Here are the top reasons Salem, residents choose to insulate: 

Protection from Water Damage

An unsealed crawlspace is an open invitation for moisture. When your crawlspace is damp, mildew and mold are sure to be there. This makes your house musty, triggering respiratory symptoms, particularly if anyone in your household has allergies or asthma. That’s why a well-sealed crawlspace is excellent for indoor air quality (IAQ). 

Home Comfort

Does your home feel drafty, no matter how often you adjust your thermostat? It could be underinsulated. A proper cushion underneath your floorboards traps heat and chilled air, ensuring your home stays comfortable. 

Energy Savings 

The fewer times your furnace, heat pump, or air conditioner (AC) cycles, the less energy it uses. When your home is sufficiently sealed, your HVAC unit won’t have to run as many cycles to regulate the temperature. 

Equipment Longevity

Similarly, fewer cycles mean your HVAC equipment doesn’t have to work as hard and is less susceptible to wear-and-tear damage. Coupled with seasonal maintenance, insulation is a great way to extend the lifespan of your HVAC system. 

Home Value 

Hoping to sell your house for more than you bought it for? Crawlspace insulation is a surefire way to increase your home value and desirability for prospective homebuyers. 

What’s the R-Value?

The thermal resistance value, or R-value, is a grade for insulation. The greater the value, the more effective it is at holding heat. The R-value your home requires depends on the part of the U.S. you live in. Countrywide, there are eight different climate zones with corresponding R-values. 

What Can I Expect During the Installation Process?

Before we install, your Day Energy Solutions team will perform a free in-home assessment. This allows us to determine the amount of insulation required, where it’s needed, and how long the project will take. We also provide you with an upfront quote. 

If you give us the go-ahead, we schedule your appointment. The actual installation may take up to two days. If you have old insulation that requires replacement, our team needs to properly detach and dispose of it before we can lay in the new product.

Which Insulation is Best for Crawlspaces?

The best insulation for a crawlspace isn’t just about R-value but also about moisture resistance, air sealing capabilities, and durability in a challenging environment.

For these reasons, traditional fiberglass batt insulation installed between floor joists is generally not the recommended best practice for crawlspaces. While it’s inexpensive and easy to install, fiberglass acts like a sponge. If it gets wet from ground moisture or humidity, its insulating value plummets, and it can become a breeding ground for mold, mildew, and even pests. Over time, it often sags, falls, and loses effectiveness completely, making your efforts counterproductive.

The consensus among building science experts and leading insulation professionals points towards foam-based insulation as the superior choice for crawlspaces, particularly when combined with encapsulation.

Choose Foam-Based Insulation for Crawlspaces

Here is why foam-based insulation excels in crawlspaces: 

Moisture Resistance: Unlike fibrous insulation, rigid foam boards (like XPS or EPS) and spray foam (closed-cell) are inherently moisture-resistant. They won’t absorb water, which means they maintain their R-value even in damp conditions and don’t promote mold growth. This is crucial in a crawlspace, which is typically a high-moisture environment.

Air Sealing: This is where foam truly shines. Spray foam expands to fill every crack, crevice, and irregular surface, creating a continuous, airtight barrier. Rigid foam boards, when properly cut, fitted, and sealed at the seams with tape or spray foam, also provide an excellent air seal. Air sealing is paramount in a crawlspace because uncontrolled air leaks (bringing in cold or hot, humid air) are often a bigger culprit for energy loss and discomfort than just lack of insulation.

High R-Value Per Inch: Both rigid foam boards and closed-cell spray foam offer a higher R-value per inch compared to fiberglass. This means you get more insulating power in a thinner application, which can be advantageous in tight crawlspaces.

Pest Deterrent: Foam insulation, particularly closed-cell spray foam, does not provide a food source or nesting material for rodents and insects, making your crawlspace less hospitable to unwanted guests.

Durability and Longevity: Foam-based insulation is durable and won’t sag, settle, or degrade over time if installed correctly and kept dry. This provides long-term performance and value.

While foam insulation is excellent, for ultimate performance in a crawlspace, it’s often paired with crawlspace encapsulation. Encapsulation involves covering the crawlspace floor and often the walls with a heavy-duty vapor barrier, typically a thick polyethylene liner, that is sealed to the foundation walls and piers. This creates a dry, conditioned, and clean environment that becomes part of your home’s thermal envelope.

When encapsulated, insulation is typically applied to the crawlspace walls rather than between the floor joists of the living space above, effectively bringing the crawlspace within the conditioned area of the house. This strategy makes the floors above warmer in winter, cooler in summer, and protects plumbing and ductwork running through the crawlspace.

Get Top-of-the-Line Home Service

Day Energy Solutions is proud to provide quality home services to our neighbors in Salem, and its surrounding communities. Call us at 503-363-2194 or request service online.