It’s Spring again and with great weather comes some not-so-great challenges: air quality, increased cooling bills, and return of the creepy crawlers. But did you know that there is a single way to take care of all three of these issues at once? There is. By sealing the crawlspace of your home with foam insulation, you can save money and protect your family’s comfort for years to come. Let’s talk about a few ways that foam insulation solves these problems.

Foam insulation improves air quality. Indoor air can be two to five times more polluted than outside air. A lot of this is caused by mold and poor air circulation. Foam insulation eliminates the moisture that causes mold while allowing air to pass through, increasing air circulation. Also, uncontrolled air infiltration can bring warm air in to mix with cooler air, causing condensation that eventually leads to mold. Foam insulation creates a seal and fills gaps preventing uncontrolled air infiltration.

Air infiltration loses money. Did you know that 40% of a buildings energy is lost through air infiltration? Gaps, holes and air leaks all let the good air out and allow the bad air in, greatly increasing heating and cooling costs. Foam insulation both seals and insulates all these nooks and crannies, greatly reducing comfort costs. The EPA estimates that foam insulation saves up to 20% on monthly heating and cooling bills. Furthermore, the Department of Energy estimates that 56% of your energy use is spent on heating and cooling. Having an optimized HVAC system that includes foam insulation is key to keeping your heating and cooling bills in check.

Everyone knows that as soon as the weather starts to get warm, the insects come out in droves and, eventually, seem to find a way inside. It never fails, you’ve just sat down to watch a movie, when you hear a scream upstairs because a bug is climbing the wall. Foam insulation helps to eliminate this by filing in all those small gaps that bugs can use to get inside your home. Insects don’t eat foam and by maintaining that seal in your crawlspace, foam insulation helps you enjoy your evenings uninterrupted.

Mold prevention can be a major issue. Anytime you have outside air getting into a controlled environment such as your home, then the likelihood of mold is high. When warm air from the outside gets trapped in low circulation pockets of cooler, denser air in your home, it creates a prime environment for mold to grow. This mold then emits VOC’s(Volatile Organic Compounds) that can cause serious health complications. Remember, you can’t eliminate mold spores so the best remedy is to prevent mold from ever growing. Foam insulation prevents mold growth by eliminating outside air from seeping into your home, creating an environment where mold can’t thrive.

Tired of that musty basement odor? Or maybe it’s coming from the laundry room, or an upstairs bedroom. Musty odor can be caused by poor circulation from a non-optimized HVAC system. When air stays trapped in pockets, it can become stale and give off a distinct odor. Foam insulation is a key part of a balanced HVAC system, and, by eliminating holes and leaks in your systems integrity, it can improve circulation in those musty areas, eliminating stale air. Less stale air means less odor.

Sealing your crawlspace with foam insulation is the most effective and cost friendly measure you can take to prevent multiple problems in your home this spring. Weather your home would benefit from open-cell or closed-cell technology, foam insulation can be custom tailored for your unique environment. Doing so, will not only eliminate odors, mold, and insects, but will also streamline your energy use and save you money.