I'm looking for some temporary solutions to insulate my crawl space because I can't afford encapsulation right now. My house was built in 1957 and I'm located in Southern California. The temperatures can drop to around 45°F, and my floors are just slatted underlayment topped with poor-quality LVP. I've got about 2 feet of space to work with in the crawl space and around 6 inches between the floor joists. Is it a bad idea to just crawl under there and stuff R25 insulation in the joists, or should I consider using rigid insulation instead? Really just need a quick fix for my cold feet!
1 Answer
Encapsulation can be pricey since some companies tend to oversell it with every fancy option. If you don’t have moisture issues, you can just lay down a 6mil polyethylene vapor barrier on the ground for around $80, then slap in any insulation you want between the joists. Don't forget to hit any gaps with some spray foam to tighten things up.
Thanks for the tip! Should I just use turf spikes to keep the vapor barrier down? And good looking out on the foam – I've found a few leaks and plan to seal them. Any ideas on how to make paths on the poly? I heard laying down cheap astroturf helps.