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At Triangle Radiant Barrier. Protect your home from mold and improve indoor air quality by sealing your crawl space against the humid climate of Raleigh, North Carolina. Our thorough encapsulation process ensures the elimination of poor-quality air, moderating relative humidity and preventing the growth of mold, mildew, rust, and other harmful elements.

Crawl Space Encapsulation in Raleigh, NC Transforming Your Home for Healthier Living

Complete Crawlspace Remediation: Why It’s the Key to a Healthier Home

Encapsulating a home’s crawl space makes the home a healthier place to live and breathe

Reason #1: To Protect Against Mold

In a humid climate, like we have in Raleigh, North Carolina, a vented crawl space is subject to the key ingredients for mold: high air relative humidity, limited airflow, no direct sunlight, and moderate to hot air. By properly sealing a crawlspace and adding environmental conditioning (air induction and/or dehumidification), we alleviate those conditions and inhibit mold propagation.

Reason #2: To Improve Indoor Air Quality

Building science studies show that an average of 40% of the air we breath in our Raleigh homes originates in the crawlspace. An average vented crawlspace has very poor-quality air infused with mold, mildew, rust, wood rot, deteriorated fiberglass insulation, pest urine/feces/corpses, dust, pathogens and natural vapors (odors from decaying organic matter in the crawlspace soil).

 

This poor-quality air gets into your living space via the stack effect (natural movement of air upwards through a home) and leaks in your Raleigh crawlspace installed HVAC ducts and components.

 

A sealed crawlspace in your Raleigh NC home moderates relative humidity which inhibits mold, mildew, rust, wood rot and other dangerous elements.

 

Fiberglass insulation is not needed for an encapsulated crawl space and is thus removed and no longer present to be an air quality deterrent.

 

An encapsulated crawlspace blocks ingress points to keep pests (insects, rodents, snakes, etc.) out.

 

A good-quality vapor barrier will also guard against odorous vapors.

 

We can further alleviate bad odors by applying a natural deodorization spray to your Raleigh crawl space, comprised of non-pathogenic bacteria and enzymes that are specially designed to consume (not just cover) decaying organic matter.

 

The hallmark of a well-sealed crawlspace is the elimination of poor-quality air which directly improves indoor air quality in your living space above.

If your existing fiberglass insulation is in good shape, we can seal the crawlspace with CrawlBarrier®

Crawl Space Encapsulation Option #1: CrawlBarrier®

We start by installing polyethylene vapor barrier to the crawlspace ground of your Raleigh home. We install white vapor barrier (options for 10-mil, 10-mil reinforced, 12-mil reinforced, or 16-mil reinforced). All of the vapor barrier options are much stronger than the 6-mil products allowed by building code. We set the vapor in place with heavy-gauge galvanized liner staples, roll fully up at the foundation piers, roll-up at the perimeter walls (will be subsequently sealed to the perimeter walls by the CrawlBarrier®, and we tape the vapor barrier at all foundation piers and panel seams.

 

We then mechanically fasten CrawlBarrier® to the crawlspace perimeter walls and tape all of the panel seams. The foundation vents are further sealed with foam board and foam spray.

 

By installing CrawlBarrier® to the crawlspace perimeter walls, we seal the crawlspace from the outside air. We then add a means to condition the residual moisture from the crawlspace with either air induction or a dehumidifier.

Crawlspace Remediation Option #2: Closed-Cell Spray Foam

This option starts with removing and hauling away the existing fiberglass insulation from your Raleigh home. We then air-seal the subfloor which separates the living space above from the crawlspace by sealing all penetrations with foam spray. New polyethylene vapor barrier (options for 10-mil, 10-mil reinforced, 12-mil reinforced, or 16-mil reinforced) is installed on the crawlspace ground; set it in place with heavy-gauge galvanized liner staples, full roll-ups on the foundation piers, roll-ups on the perimeters walls (will be subsequently sealed sealed to the walls with the Spray Foam), and vapor barrier tape on all foundation piers and panel seams.

 

We then seal with crawlspace with 2″ closed-cell spray foam applied to the crawlspace exterior wall and rim joists. The still plate and 3″ below the still plate remain exposed for future termite inspections.

 

Once sealed, we install air induction, a dehumidifier, or a combination of both in order to extract residual air moisture from the crawlspace.

Crawl Space Encapsulation Option #3: Bora-Foam® Rigid Foam Board

With option #3, we follow the same initial steps as option #2, but instead of applying 2” closed-cell spray foam, we seal the crawl space walls of your Raleigh home with BoraFoam® Rigid Foam Board.

 

BoraFoam® is 2.5″ thick and set into the crawlspace exterior wall with concrete anchors, the seams taped with vapor barrier tape, and the edges sealed with foam spray. We further install the BoraFoam® onto the rim joists, sealed with foam spray. The still plate and 3″ below the still plate remains exposed for future termite inspections.

 

BoraFoam® is pretreated with Borate, an anti-termite additive. It also comes pre-laminated with 3-mil polyethylene vapor barrier attached on each side (6-mil accumulative).

 

Bora-Foam® provides a cleaner appearance that Spray Foam, as Spray Foam expands unevenly when applied.

 

Being a cured foam board, there is no off-gassing in the crawlspace during installation. For Raleigh homeowners sensitive to chemicals being used in/around their home, this is a substantive benefit of this Option.

Raleigh, NC Crawl Space Insulation Photos

Click on any of the images below to enlarge them.

Frequently Asked Questions On Crawl Space Encapsulation in Raleigh, NC

What is the best insulation for crawl spaces?

The best insulation options for crawlspaces are ones that both insulated and air seal (prevent convective heat transfer), such as rolled insulation (such as CrawlBarrier), closed cell spray foam, or rigid foam board (such as Bora-Foam). Fiberglass insulation does not air seal, so it is by far the least performing type of insulation for a crawl space

What is the best way to insulate a crawl space?

The best insulation options for crawlspaces are ones that both insulated and air seal (prevent convective heat transfer), such as rolled insulation (such as CrawlBarrier), closed cell spray foam, or rigid foam board (such as Bora-Foam). Fiberglass insulation does not air seal, so it is by far the least performing type of insulation for a crawl space

What is the average service life of crawl space insulation types?

The best insulation options for crawlspaces are ones that both insulated and air seal (prevent convective heat transfer), such as rolled insulation (such as CrawlBarrier), closed cell spray foam, or rigid foam board (such as Bora-Foam). Fiberglass insulation does not air seal, so it is by far the least performing type of insulation for a crawl space

What is the average service life of crawl space insulation types?

The best insulation options for crawlspaces are ones that both insulated and air seal (prevent convective heat transfer), such as rolled insulation (such as CrawlBarrier), closed cell spray foam, or rigid foam board (such as Bora-Foam). Fiberglass insulation does not air seal, so it is by far the least performing type of insulation for a crawl space

What is guarantee and warranty on TRB’s encapsulated crawl spaces?

The best insulation options for crawlspaces are ones that both insulated and air seal (prevent convective heat transfer), such as rolled insulation (such as CrawlBarrier), closed cell spray foam, or rigid foam board (such as Bora-Foam). Fiberglass insulation does not air seal, so it is by far the least performing type of insulation for a crawl space

Will encapsulating your crawl space improve HVAC efficiency?

The best insulation options for crawlspaces are ones that both insulated and air seal (prevent convective heat transfer), such as rolled insulation (such as CrawlBarrier), closed cell spray foam, or rigid foam board (such as Bora-Foam). Fiberglass insulation does not air seal, so it is by far the least performing type of insulation for a crawl space

Is air induction or a dehumidifier better for moderating crawlspace relative humidity?

The best insulation options for crawlspaces are ones that both insulated and air seal (prevent convective heat transfer), such as rolled insulation (such as CrawlBarrier), closed cell spray foam, or rigid foam board (such as Bora-Foam). Fiberglass insulation does not air seal, so it is by far the least performing type of insulation for a crawl space

Why do I have mold in my crawl space?

The best insulation options for crawlspaces are ones that both insulated and air seal (prevent convective heat transfer), such as rolled insulation (such as CrawlBarrier), closed cell spray foam, or rigid foam board (such as Bora-Foam). Fiberglass insulation does not air seal, so it is by far the least performing type of insulation for a crawl space

Does mold in my crawl space impact my indoor air quality?

The best insulation options for crawlspaces are ones that both insulated and air seal (prevent convective heat transfer), such as rolled insulation (such as CrawlBarrier), closed cell spray foam, or rigid foam board (such as Bora-Foam). Fiberglass insulation does not air seal, so it is by far the least performing type of insulation for a crawl space

How do you remediate mold in a crawl space?

The best insulation options for crawlspaces are ones that both insulated and air seal (prevent convective heat transfer), such as rolled insulation (such as CrawlBarrier), closed cell spray foam, or rigid foam board (such as Bora-Foam). Fiberglass insulation does not air seal, so it is by far the least performing type of insulation for a crawl space

Will mold in my crawlspace cause long term damage to the structure of the home?

The best insulation options for crawlspaces are ones that both insulated and air seal (prevent convective heat transfer), such as rolled insulation (such as CrawlBarrier), closed cell spray foam, or rigid foam board (such as Bora-Foam). Fiberglass insulation does not air seal, so it is by far the least performing type of insulation for a crawl space

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Customer reviews

I am chair of the board of a small townhouse community in Chapel Hill. One of our buildings of has had crawlspace problems with moisture and falling insulation for years. We had periodically replaced the insulation which inevitably failed and the problem gradually worsened. When I first met with Brock Emmons my relief was palatable. He gave me a clear, concise, rational description of our problems - and he had solutions. Briefly Triangle Radiant Barrier did mold remediation, fully encapsulated the crawlspaces, and installed monitored dehumidifiers. Their team was prompt, efficient, courteous, and competent. Their work is protecting our home environment and investment. I highly recommend them.

Doris C.
Chapel Hill, NC