How to install hardwood flooring over a crawlspace without underlayment.
Recommended r value floor over crawlspace.
A 6 mil polyethylene plastic vapor barrier covering the ground keeps the wet at bay.
Insulate the floor from below and be sure to insulate any water pipes or heating cooling ducts in the crawlspace especially any water pipes at or near the perimeter.
Depending on where you live and the part of your home you re insulating walls crawlspace attic etc you ll need a different r value.
Moist household air is bound to cause condensation in the crawl space.
Crawl spaces are the shallow spaces beneath a home s first floor between the ground and the floor joists.
A double layer is recommended.
Crawl spaces unvented when insulating floors over unheated base ments or crawl spaces use kraft faced fiber glass or mineral wool batts with the vapor retarder facing heated areas.
The higher the r value the better the thermal performance of the insulation.
Most types of flooring are suitable for installation over a crawl space.
Insulation level are specified by r value.
A six mill plastic vapor barrier should be installed.
Recommended home insulation r values.
Add a vapor barrier.
For example if you have a type of insulation that has an r value of r 5 per inch of thickness you will need a depth of 6 inches of this insulation installed in your attic to reach r 30 if you live in zones 2 or 3.
Whether the floor of your crawl space is bare earth gravel or concrete it is going to exude moisture.
Get rid of moisture.
Unvented crawlspaces can be treated like an unintentionally heated basement by insulating the exterior foundation walls.
R value is a measure of insulation s ability to resist heat traveling through it.
Unfaced r 25 or r 19 insulation batts are usually cut into small pieces to fit snugly between the floor joists against sills and band joists.
Moisture can damage a hardwood floor irreversibly so every installation should include effective safeguards against it.
These r values are a sum meaning this should be the total r value once you add up the entire depth of insulation.
Crawl spaces typically provide ventilation to protect framing members from moisture damage as well as space for the home s plumbing and electrical components.