Crawl Spaces Vents vs. Crawl Space Sealing

In this video, Chris Schmidt, an expert in building performance and owner of Island Basement Systems and Dr. Energy Saver, walks us through a job recently performed by his company. His goal is to help clarify some of the confusion surrounding the proper way to treat basements and crawl spaces in Vancouver Island. Should they be vented or sealed?

This particular home had an unsealed, uninsulated, vented crawl space/short basement until the homeowner got sick and tired of walking on freezing cold floors and paying for incredibly high energy bills. They reached out to Island Basement Systems for help.

The house was quite big, so in order to solve the problems without going beyond the homeowners' budget, the technicians opted for a combination approach. They started by lining the crawl space area with the CleanSpace Vapor Barrier, to keep moisture from getting in and help control relative humidity levels in the crawl space. Dry air is easy to cool and heat. The next step was to insulate the rim joists with open cell foam. Open cell foam was the chosen material for this job because it will help air seal the space without trapping moisture already present in the wood.

Since the job was performed, this home has become much warmer and more energy efficient. The homeowner noticed a big difference in terms of improved comfort and reported big savings in his heating bills. In addition, the heating system is not running as often so the home is also quieter.

Are you looking to improve your home's energy efficiency? Island Basement Systems is proud to serve the greater area of Victoria, Nanaimo, Saanich, North Saanich and Port Alberni, BC. Get your free estimate today!