hi, I am buying a home (raised ranch) , and te insulation under the family room on the main floor (hardwood floor) is installed with the foil facing downwards (i.e, upside down).Is this a major problem? I asked the home inpector, and he mentioned that there could be moisture from the family room which could cause mold growth in the insulation layer. Should this be corrected immediately? Is this something I can fix myself? How difficult will it be? I am a first time home buyer, and any information you guys can provide will help thanks
Insulation installed upside down
Sep 23, 2006
6 Replies
It depends where your house is located and where the majority of the moisture is coming from. The Building Science web site has tons of information in easily digestible form. This is a good place to start:
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If no rainwater or irrigation water gets under the house, I wouldn't worry about it. Just be sure the soil surface around the house exterior causes water to incline away from the house. The only other environmental factor is if the house is in a continuously muggy environment, long morning fog almost everyday as an example. Most vented crawlspaces are dry as are its subfloor contents.
Caught the end of a TV program a couple of days ago. They were talking about a sealed crawlspace. Appeared to be walled up externally with cinder block. The soil, external wall on the inside, and subfloor were all covered with some material. Person said an owner of such a crawlspace could expect a 20% energy savings. All I could think about was a potential plumbing leak in such enclosed area...
thanks everyone
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