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How often do you think about your crawl space? Probably not often. And if you don’t often think of your crawl space, you rarely consider its insulation. However, if you notice that your floors are cold or you need a new way to conserve energy in your home, you should consider checking the insulation in your crawl space.
However, it’s hard to get into your Chapel Hill, NC crawl space to see if it’s sealed or insulated properly. Even if you can get in, you may not know what is the best crawl space insulation you can purchase in Durham County. Below, we’ll discuss why you need crawl space insulation, the different types, and the pros and cons. Finally, we’ll explain why you should hire Sealed Solution for your sealed crawl space. To learn more, keep reading.
What Is a Crawl Space?
A crawl space is the foundation under the first floor of your home. Crawl spaces support the rest of your house and act as a buffer between your home and the ground. Many homes have a vented crawl space, not a sealed crawl space in Chapel Hill, NC. This allows air to circulate under your house. However, this can also cause cold floors under your feet, among other issues.
Why Do You Need Crawl Space Insulation?
So why do you need crawl space insulation in Chapel Hill, NC? Insulation helps with temperature fluctuations. On top of helping your house maintain a consistent temperature, properly installed insulation makes your home more energy-efficient and can improve your air quality. With insulation, you can keep your home cool during the summer and warm during the winter. You can maintain a comfortable home when you have crawl space insulation.
Improperly installed insulation, however, can negatively impact your house. You can waste energy, deal with freezing floors, and have lower air quality if you don’t take care of your sealed crawl space. If you notice your energy bill rising, your floors getting colder, or reduced air quality, you should consider calling Sealed Solution to look at your Durham County crawl space insulation.
Are There Many Types?
Even though you know your home requires new crawl space insulation, do you know what you should replace it with or how many types of insulation are available? There are two main types of insulation that you can install in your Chapel Hill, NC home: fiberglass and spray foam. You have most likely heard of these materials, but which is best for your crawl space? You have several factors to consider: safety, price, installation ease, and more. Each material has benefits and disadvantages, so consider them before deciding which to install in your home.
Pros of Fiberglass
Have you ever walked into an unfinished room and looked at the walls? Did you notice a yellow or pink substance sitting behind the structure of the walls? If so, you’ve seen fiberglass in action. Fiberglass consists of plastic and fine glass fibers—thus the name “fiberglass.” Its composition makes it strong and improves its insulation capability.
When you think of insulation for your home, you probably think of fiberglass first. That’s because fiberglass is the oldest form of home insulation. Since it’s so commonly used, it’s a widely available option. Also, it’s an inexpensive option. If you don’t have money saved up for your crawl space insulation, this is a great option for you. Finally, fiberglass is easy to install. Therefore, if you want to install it alone, you can do so.
Cons of Fiberglass
Despite the advantages of fiberglass, there are some negatives to address. Humidity and moisture can ruin fiberglass. However, fiberglass can trap this moisture, allowing mold and mildew to grow in your sealed crawl space. This can make the air quality in your home unsafe.
Also, fiberglass is dangerous if inhaled. This is especially important when you install the material. As you move it around, it will release little particles into the air. You can suffer from nosebleeds, coughing, or other respiratory issues when you breathe in these particles. The particles can also cause irritation and itchiness if it touches your skin, so you have to wear protective gear whenever you come into contact with fiberglass.
Pros of Spray Foam
Luckily, there is another option to consider: spray foam insulation. There are two types of spray foam insulation: open- and closed-cell insulation. Both materials expand when sprayed but only closed-cell spray foam insulation will seal moisture from your Chapel Hill, NC home.
Spray foam insulation isn’t easily damaged by water and moisture, meaning you don’t have to worry about mold or mildew when you choose spray foam insulation. Also, pests don’t eat this material, so you won’t have pests entering your crawl space looking for food.
Finally, spray foam insulation is safe for the environment. Therefore, if you want an environmentally conscious option, you should choose spray foam.
Cons of Spray Foam
However, there are negatives to spray foam as well. Compared to fiberglass, spray foam is a more expensive option. If you have a flexible budget, then you should consider spray foam. But since you don’t have to worry about water destroying the insulation, choosing spray foam may save you money in the long run.
Also, many can’t install spray foam on their own. It’s not as DIY-friendly as fiberglass, so you should consider hiring a professional if you want spray foam for your Chapel Hill, NC sealed crawl space.
Should You Install It Yourself?
Once you decide whether you want fiberglass or spray foam insulation for your crawl space, you need to determine how to install it. Do you want to hire a professional, or would you like to do it yourself? How you plan on installing the insulation can change which material you choose.
If you want a thorough job, you should always hire a professional. When you call Sealed Solution at 919-302-1081, you can know that the best crawl space insulation available can protect your home. To save money on your house in Durham County and walk on your first floor without slippers on, call us and have your crawl space insulated today.
Chapel Hill is a town in Orange, Durham and Chatham counties in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Its population was 57,233 in the 2010 census, making Chapel Hill the 15th-largest city in the state. Chapel Hill, Durham, and the state capital, Raleigh, make up the corners of the Research Triangle, with a total population of 1,998,808.
The area was the home place of early settler William Barbee of Middlesex County, Virginia, whose 1753 grant of 585 acres from John Carteret, 2nd Earl Granville was the first of two land grants in what is now the Chapel Hill-Durham area. Though William Barbee died shortly after settling there, one of his eight children, Christopher Barbee, became an important contributor to his father’s adopted community and to the fledgling University of North Carolina.
A mural at Amber Alley between Franklin and Rosemary streets
Chapel Hill has developed along a hill; the crest was the original site of a small Anglican ‘chapel of ease’, built in 1752, known as New Hope Chapel. The Carolina Inn now occupies this site. In 1819, the town was founded to serve the University of North Carolina and developed around it. The town was chartered in 1851, and its main street, Franklin Street, was named in memory of Benjamin Franklin.
In 1969, a year after the city fully integrated its schools, Chapel Hill elected Howard Lee as mayor. It was the first majority-white municipality in the South to elect an African-American mayor. Serving from 1969 to 1975, Lee helped establish Chapel Hill Transit, the town’s bus system. Some 30 years later, in 2002, the state passed legislation to provide free service to all riders on local buses. The bus operations are funded through Chapel Hill and Carrboro town taxes, federal grants, and UNC student tuition. The change has resulted in a large increase in ridership, taking many cars off the roads. Several hybrid and articulated buses have been added recently. All buses carry GPS transmitters to report their location in real-time to a tracking web site. Buses can transport bicycles and have wheelchair lifts.
Here are some inspection-related links: