Cover for Crawlspace Insulation?

[HerHusband]

We are just finishing up the insulation in our crawlspace. We installed kraft face R-30 batts in the joist bays, with the kraft paper facing up towards the living space. The batts themselves are held in place using metal wire insulation supports every 12"-16".

However, we would like to cover the insulation with something that will help keep insects (ants and crickets mostly) out of the insulation.

My first thought was to use window screening, but a quick price check ruled out that option as far too expensive.

Plastic sheeting would probably cause moisture problems, and I think tyvek house wrap would probably be similar. Another option was landscape fabric, but I wonder if the bugs would just eat right through it?

Is there a material commonly used for this sort of thing?

I know it's not "necessary" to cover the insulation, but it's an addition we would feel more comfortable with.

Thanks,

Anthony

[Joseph Meehan]

Maybe house wrap.

[m Ransley]

I would have thought moisture from the dirt would be your concern, that it will now absorb the excess.

[HerHusband]

As I mentioned in my message, I would be concerned that it would cause moisture problems. Aren't housewraps (like Tyvek) designed to keep moisture out? I don't want to trap moisture inside the joist bays.

Anthony

[HerHusband]

I didn't mention it in my message, but we'll be covering the ground with 6- mil plastic sheeting. This should keep the majority of the ground moisture out of the house.

I'm primarily looking for something to keep the ants and crickets out of the insulation, but do not want to put a vapor barrier on the underside of the joists and trap moisture from the house inside the joist space. I'd rather have bugs than mold and rot.

Anthony

[Mike O.]

I'm not any kind of expert, but I wouldn't think it would be a problem to leave it exposed. There's not going to be anything in the insulation to attract them, and I would imaging the sharp edged glass fibers would be a deterrent to wandering insects.

- Mike O.

[George E. Cawthon]

Anything that is acceptable will be expensive. You could use canvas, burlap, screening, etc. The cheapest might be Tyvek, it breaths and is used to wrap house. You didn't need those metal supports if you used Tyvek.

However, the question begs the real answer regardless of your "feeling comfortable." You are suppose to keep insects, bugs, mice,etc. out of the crawl space in a regular house built on a concrete foundation. All cracks and possible entryways are suppose to be sealed (calk, insulation, boards, or something), the ground is supposed to be covered with 4-6 mil plastic (overlapped sheets), and the air openings are supposed to be covered with screening. So forget covering the insulation and do it the correct way which will probably be cheaper anyway.

[George E. Cawthon]

See my previous response. Since you are already putting down a plastic sheet, it looks like all you need to do is plug any cracks or openings, and make sure the ventilation holes have good screens on them. No bugs. If there are bugs now, put a bug bomb down there when you finish to you work. You might still find a spider or two, but most will be too big to get in, and it will be such an inhospitable place for bugs that there will be very few. Besides, most bug don't really like insulation.

BTW, Tyvek is not a vapor barrier, it is a moisture barrier, meaning that it stop liquid water but not water vapor.

[Dan Hartung]

You have ants that get IN your insulation?!

I think removing the bare soil and concomitant moisture would be enough of a deterrent.

[HerHusband]

George,

That's sounding like my best option right now. I apparently confused it as moisture barrier instead of an air barrier. I'll have to check the price of this on my next trip to the store and decide if the cost is worth it.

Our crawlspace is sealed off nicely, except the foundation vents are covered with 1/4" wire mesh. It will certainly keep out mice, squirrels, etc. but insects can easily walk right through it. I suppose I could install window screening on the backside of the wire mesh to keep out bugs too, but wouldn't that reduce airflow through the vents?

I'm probably overanalyzing this problem like I've done every other step of our house construction. Ha. Ha.

Thanks,

Anthony

[Kahlua53]

Anthony

What I think I would do if I were you- Do like everyone said. Make sure you have all the cracks and openings sealed. Then just wait 6 months to a year then go and chack it out. If you have a problem, then put up some sheeting like you wanted. I only say this because you might just be wasting your money here and it would be better off used else where.

Hope this helps... Remove NoSpam to reply, Thanks

[HerHusband]

Yep, that's what we decided to do... I priced the housewrap at the home center, about $110 for a 150 foot roll. We would need two of those to completely cover the underside of our floor joists. Right now that $220 is better spent on other items. It won't be any more difficult to install the wrap in a year than it would be now, so we figure we'll wait. With any luck, we won't need it at all...

Thanks for the feedback!

Take care,

Anthony