I live in a 100+ year old semi-attached brick house with a shallow crawlspace that's about 14 inches high at its deepest point, and unfortunately, I have no access to it. I've consulted multiple contractors, but they ruled out opening an exterior access point, and an interior hatch wouldn't really help me with my situation. My main issue is that every year, rats invade my crawlspace, despite no visible entry points on the outside of my home. Evidence suggests that they might be coming from the crawlspace through holes in the masonry or extensive burrows under the foundation. Every pest control expert I've consulted agrees that the source is the crawlspace. Furthermore, my first floor is difficult to heat adequately; even with the central heating on, the floor temperature hovers in the 50s during winter without multiple space heaters. Given these factors, I'm eager to encapsulate and insulate the crawlspace properly. I believe this would require tearing out all the existing floors and subfloors on the perimeter of the first level, cleaning out the crawlspace, sealing the masonry, installing a vapor barrier, and applying spray foam around the joists and perimeter. Does this plan sound reasonable, or am I overlooking any other possible options? My primary concern is that this solution might only last for a short time, especially if maintenance hasn't been performed on the crawlspace in decades.
3 Answers
One interesting idea is to cut a hole and pump in about 6 inches of concrete to create a slab-like surface. After that, you could add closed-cell foam insulation. It might be pricey, but rats probably wouldn't get through it!
Sounds like a tough situation! I'm in a similar boat but haven't made much progress. Have you been able to get any quotes yet? It might help to compare options and costs before making a decision.
Have you checked if it's a dirt crawl space? If so, it might be worth considering digging it out deeper to make maintenance easier in the future. Just a thought!
I'm not sure if it's dirt since I can't access it, and the previous owners weren't aware either. I've read that digging out can risk destabilizing the foundation, especially in older homes, so it's a bit tricky.
That's a unique approach! I'd be curious if the concrete would cover all the plumbing down there, effectively locking it in place. I might run this by my contractor.