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Thermal Insulation

Worried about your crawl space? Our crawl space repair solutions allow you to protect your home with the best insulation available: ExTremeBloc.

Sideview of the crew installing ExTremeBloc thermal insulation

ExtremeBloc™: The Best Insulation for a Crawl Space

Proper crawl space insulation is essential for homes experiencing extreme cold or warm temperatures. Thermal insulation panels keep your house warm in winter and cool in summer. They also help control moisture and prevent common crawl space problems, including mold growth, mildew, and pests.

Inferior and aging insulation materials will eventually require replacement with quality materials for cost-effectiveness. Repairing crawl space insulation also prevents pest infestations and mold growth, which affects indoor air quality and your family’s health.

If you are concerned about the insulation in your crawl space, contact our experts today for a free inspection and quote.

ExtremeBloc Insulation Panels

3D image of crawl space

ExtremeBloc™ thermal insulation panels transform crawl spaces into energy-efficient systems that help maintain a consistent, comfortable temperature in your home. ExtremeBloc also repels moisture, mold, and pests, preserving indoor air quality.

Our insulation panels feature an expanded polystyrene core wrapped in graphite-infused insulation with a radiant heat barrier, delivering an impressive R-value of 11. With simple installation, eco-friendly components, and built-in termite and pest deterrents, it’s difficult to justify choosing any other insulation material.

These factors make Groundworks’ ExtremeBloc insulation material the best solution for crawl spaces.

Insulation And Energy Savings

Properly insulated crawl spaces contribute to an energy-efficient home, while those lacking effective insulation can lead to high energy bills and uncomfortable temperature fluctuations. Inadequate insulation also allows crawl space moisture accumulation, causing pest infestations and mold growth.

With proper insulation, your crawl space maintains warmth in the winter and coolness in the summer. ExtremeBloc insulation panels provide year-round protection against the elements and moisture, regardless of your home’s location.

Solutions that fit into your life

Signs That Insulation Needs Replacing

Not all insulation materials are created equal. Some perform well in the short term but lose effectiveness over time. Older homes often contain insulation well past its lifespan—if the crawl space is even insulated.

Fortunately, there are signs homeowners can watch for that indicate it’s time to contact crawl space experts about repair or replacement.

Peeling Insulation

One obvious sign that insulation needs repair is when it begins peeling away from walls and floors. At this stage, replacement is necessary. If the insulation is damp or moldy, it must be replaced. While some insulation materials can be cleaned and repaired for reuse, this is not true for all types.

Drafts

The primary job of crawl space insulation is indoor temperature control. You will begin to feel air drafts as it loses its integrity. Wind breaches cause these drafts through the insulation or when different air temperatures meet.

You might feel drafts in the crawl space or inside the home, but a professional inspection helps pinpoint the source. We recommend contacting a crawl space expert like Groundworks. 

Entering the crawl space area without protective gear can be hazardous, especially if pests or mold are present. Professionals have the proper tools to get the job done right.

High Energy Bills

High energy bills are a common sign of failing crawl space insulation. When insulation does not effectively maintain indoor temperatures, heating and cooling systems run longer to compensate. In regions with hot, humid summers and cold winters, homes with poor insulation experience spikes in energy costs during seasonal peaks.

High-quality ExtremeBloc insulation panels are cost-effective through reduced energy savings.

Damp Insulation

Damp insulation is a significant sign that requires replacement. Over time, some insulation loses its ability to repel water and deteriorates. Others are impacted as vapor barriers and drainage matting fail. Regardless of how or why the crawl space insulation becomes wet, you must replace it. When not addressed, moist conditions lead to mold, mildew, structural damage, and health problems. 

Inconsistent Indoor Temperatures

Crawl space insulation can fail in specific areas or batches due to exposure or other factors, leading to room temperature fluctuations. For example, the kitchen may feel cool and dry, while the dining room is warm and humid. Temperature changes can be room-specific as outdoor conditions shift throughout the day. You can track these variations by placing a thermostat in each room. 

Pest Infestations

Pest infestations and rodents often nest in poorly insulated crawl spaces. Some critters consume insulation material, creating significant problems. Termites are an example of a pest you do not want living in the crawl space.

Evidence of increased pest activity indicates that your insulation needs repair. Signs may include droppings, noise activity in vents and crawl space areas at night, and musty odors.

It’s important to note that repairing insulation alone will not deter pests. However, incorporating additional encapsulation methods can help prevent them. Several pest-resistant insulation materials are available, and ExTremeBloc is one of them.

Crawl Space Insulation FAQs

One reason that people worry about adding insulation to their crawl space is that they worry that it’ll attract pests. Although this can be a potential problem, it’s important to weigh the pros and cons of having insulation and to see whether you can change the pest issues if possible.

  • Specific Types of Insulation Material

Certain types of insulation can indeed attract pests. For example, fiberglass is a common insulation material because it’s non-flammable and cheaper than other insulation types. However, it’s also attractive to many pests, which may include rats, raccoons, and insects. There are also other insulations with the same problem.

This is because many insulation types – especially older or ‘eco-friendly’ insulation – are made of organic materials in part or as a whole. These materials can act as food for certain kinds of pests, or else allow for the formation of mold when they become damp. 

  • How to Avoid Pests From Insulation

Because insulation can have pest problems, some manufacturers will use unappealing synthetic materials to repel pests. Others will inject deterrents into the insulation material itself. One of the best ways to ensure that the insulation doesn’t attract pests is to make sure the material of the insulation isn’t a type that pests enjoy, which is what ExTremeBlocTM does.

These materials are still incredibly effective; some more so than traditional, organic insulation materials. This means that you don’t have to compromise at all to have a safe, dry, warm home that is free from pests. This insulation material is also water-resistant, so you can expect some protection from humidity and dampness, too.

  • Other Methods of Avoiding Pests in the Crawl Space

There are also other methods that you can use to avoid pests in the crawl space. Insulation is just one of the things that can attract pests into your crawl space. If you have an encapsulated and overall healthy crawl space, your chances of getting pests in your crawl space will go down dramatically, regardless of what type of insulation you use.

Encapsulation includes things like vapor barrier installation, covering unsealed crawl space vents, and installing drainage and dehumidification options. Talk to your GroundWorks team member to ensure that you have the best advice (and that you get the best products) when it comes to encapsulation.

As you start to do some research into insulation, you might see the term “R-value.” The R-value of an insulation product is something that you’ll typically see in advertisements and product listings for a specific item. To the layman, this can be very confusing. Here’s what you need to know about an R-value and why it matters.

  •  An Overview of the R-Value

At a baseline, an R-value has to do with how well the insulation will work. These ratings are assigned based on how effective the insulation is at resisting heat. A low R-value means the insulation has a poor thermal resistance, whereas a high R-value means the insulation has excellent thermal resistance. R-values also vary based on how thick insulation is; you can add more insulation to increase the R-value of specific insulation.

R-values can still be very confusing even if you understand what they stand for, so you might want to take a look at the estimated R-values of various products. Drywall by itself, for example, has an R-value of .9 on average. Most fiberglass insulation has an R-value between 2.2-3.8, which is certainly higher than drywall, but it’s overall a poor rating, especially compared to ExTremeBloc’s™ R-value of 11. Generally, anything above an R-value of 5 is considered decent, but aiming for the higher R-value is always better.

  • Why Should I Think About R-Value?

When you are considering insulating your home, there are so many factors at play that it can be a little confusing for those who lack specialist training and experience. However, when you are thinking about insulation you should be thinking about three main things; water-resistance, mold-resistance, and R-Value. Finding the right mix of these qualities is key.

Of course, it’s far easier and more effective to instead let a professional assess your home and its needs for you. An expert will find the right kind of insulation for your home and the climate it exists in, including the right R-value, as a matter of course when you hire them to insulate your crawl space. The results and benefits will start to make themselves known almost immediately.

You might have heard someone tell you that you need to replace your insulation regularly. In some ways, this is true; however, you definitely shouldn’t have to replace crawl space insulation every few years. Here’s a bit more to understand about crawl space insulation replacement.

  •  The Lifespan of Insulation

All insulation has a certain lifespan. Insulation of a certain quality will perform admirably for 15-20 years, depending on the material and the location of your house. Toward the end of its lifespan, it may lose its ability to repel moisture and mold, however. It may even begin to disintegrate, as can the solution used to affix the insulation to the walls. That means it is crucial to look at how long the insulation can perform before you need to replace it and to make note of this information.

If you have recently come into possession of an older home, either as a development project or through a windfall, you should assume that some work may be needed and book an inspection. This will help you to get an accurate understanding of the state of the property as well as an idea of the enormity of the work that needs to be done. 

  • Replacing Insulation

When it comes time to replace your insulation, you do want to replace it when it’s still marginally working. You don’t want to wait until it’s literally in pieces because that means it hasn’t been doing its job for a long time. An expert who installs the insulation will be able to tell you when, on average, you’ll have to replace the insulation. Additionally, if you get yearly inspections, that expert can let you know when the insulation is nearing the end of its lifespan.

This is less of a problem than it once was, but if there is any chance that your insulation has any asbestos at all in it, you shouldn’t try to deal with it yourself. You should also make any professionals aware of the potential so that they can take precautions. Asbestos was commonly put into homes built in the 1980s; if you have just bought an older home that has not been renovated yet, make your technician aware. 

  • The Main Reason to Use High-Quality Insulation from an Expert

Low-quality insulation made from inferior materials may need to be replaced sooner than high-quality materials. One of the reasons Groundworks uses ExTremeBloc™ is for its long lifespan and the fact that it provides stable and consistent insulation throughout its life. Only accept high-quality insulation so that you can get more from your insulation.

Here at Groundworks, we use only the best products in every job we do for just this reason. We pride ourselves in offering a long-term, high-quality solution to every single homeowner that comes to us. This is also why we offer long-term, transferable warranties on many of our products (as well as guarantees on our services).

Protect Your Crawl Space

Are you concerned about your crawl space’s insulation? ExTremeBloc insulation panels are the ultimate solution for transforming your home into an energy-efficient powerhouse. Contact Groundworks to learn more about the best insulation for your crawl space.

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