Ask the Energy Advisor - Sealing a Crawl Space Door

[@dkel4341]

I did my own crawlspace encapsulation this summer. Sealed all my vents, laid down thick white plastic to create a seal from the moist earth below, and installed a dehumidifier to prevent high humidity leading to mold and fungus. Recently it came to me that I should probably scrap the drafty tin door and make something air tight. Thanks for the tutorial, I’m going to be framing out a nice door some weekend soon.

[@pleskbruce]

I did the same - you'll be glad you did this. I have two access doors and replaced those with new plywood and rubber air seals along the sides. I also attached three 1-inch sheets of foam insulation to the inside of each door, giving me R-15 insulation. As a final protection, I sprayed waterproofing on the outside of the doors to minimize the effects of weather. Here in central Virginia, it gets down to 25-30 most nights and daytime highs average mid-40s. All winter, my crawl space never got below 60 and averaged about 64.

[@bendayhoe]

This was great-thank you for the ideas!

[@AB-ye7bw]

Good demonstration!

[@Monkeybizness707]

Latches look a little flimsy to hold that door in place through temperature variations...you sure a drop bar wouldn't be a better option?

[@KellyJarman]

Can you give a more detailed description of the aluminum weather strip you used or where it was purchased? I'm having difficulty finding it, or something similar on the Home Depot website.

[@NobleREMC]

If you're looking to buy from Home Depot, this would be a good option: www.homedepot.com/p/Frost-King-Aluminum-Kerfs-Door-Set-in-White-VA38W/204737192

[@roxmarshall2766]

CAN you list products your using please? does the weather seal get attached on top of the 1x2?

[@mattgarrett1309]

Glue dries over time...insulation board gets bumped off door wood...forever solution screw through the front through the insulation board into a 2x1 wood board 10 inches long standing North to Sount. Now the front of board has a handle and 2 screws 8 inches apart on either side of door handle holding the 2x1 wood piece firmly to insulation and to the wood door. 2x1 again is on the inside of the crawl space.

[@jennsevon1]

What is the product you use for your vinyl/aluminum weather seal? I am looking at getting my supplies at Lowes.

[@NobleREMC]

This is the one we used in our video series, but any brand will work: www.lowes.com/pd/M-D-7-ft-x-3-8-in-White-Aluminum-Vinyl-Door-Weatherstrip/1000286479.

[@1ronhall]

By sealing those vent holes, what is the chance for mold growth in the space?

[@NobleREMC]

Something we weren't able to show is that when we installed the insulation in the crawl space, we cut a square in the insulation around the vents to be able to remove that piece if moisture is found in the future. That's why it's important to check the moisture levels of the crawl space and ensure there's a proper vapor barrier (which is what we did).

[@southerncomfort971]

Hi and thanks for sharing. I live in central Ontario Canada and my crawl space opening is in the floor, The tradesman that did the trap door did not do as good a job as i was hoping for and would like to fix it. the opening is roughly 4 feet long and 2 feet wide, has no hinges and the trim itself is protruding up into socks shoes and the occasional foot. The location is in the main entrance door way so it has traffic and needs to be supported from falling thru, or breaking. I would like to hide it but without changing the entire floor, I will have to be happy with creating a trim that does not rise up and cut things. With out seeing my project would you have some suggestions on how to? or materials i might use? its a wood sub floor and vinyl glue down flooring, which again in some places is also rising on some edges and corners. if you have some thoughts there too. Thank you in advance and stay well and safe.

[@NobleREMC]

Thanks for reaching out! Obviously, it’s difficult to make recommendations without knowing all factors, so please consult a reputable carpenter before doing any work. My first thought would be to move the opening to a discreet location and abandon the crawl space opening in the main entrance. If it’s in a high traffic area - because it’s going to expand and contract at different rates - there’s always the potential for uplift and curling of the flooring. Unfortunately, it sounds like the situation you’re in, it is what it is and may not be easily fixed or changed. If you need reinforcement on the crawl space door, think of it as a vertical wall. You could frame the backside of the plywood with traditional 2x4 lumber. This should give you the weight needed to keep the door flat, as well as give you the ability to get rid of the trim and throw a rug over the entire area.

[@southerncomfort971]

@@NobleREMC Thank you so much, these are my thoughts too and i do have a guy i trust but he is busy and has me penciled in some time this spring summer. I was looking for anything maybe i could do and save him for other work, i really can't attempt alone. I also think since its such a side opening i can add 2 removable angle irons to support the trap door when closed and moveable when or if needed to gain access? Again thank you for your thoughts and yes i am aware of the difficulty in suggesting something you haven't seen.

[@lukepcal]

No video

[@samcorlsamuel9074]

Dig deeper, might find some gold

[@lockman004]

I wouldn't get into a crawl space like that without a tyvek suit sealed at the cuffs due to brown recluse and black widow spiders. And we have to wear a respirator due to the hantavirus. If you work in crawl spaces on a daily basis it only a matter of time before you will have a health issue. Safety first. Medical bills can easily cost a years salary.

[@tsadkiel2008]

No wonder medical is so expensive in the US....

[@Monkeybizness707]

​@tsadkiel2008 just another one of those mor.ons who can't admit that you only benefit from the research that our Healthcare system has provided the entire world in medicines and disease control...have fun waiting in line behind the junkies for your free checkup by an under qualified health care worker. You know that people in Canada come to the US for real treatment, right?

[@famercado123]

I am going to stop complaining about my 3ft x 3ft crawl space door.

[@tsadkiel2008]

Another point I would like to show, since you are an "energy adviser". The condenser unit right beside the crawl space needs cleaning, horribly! Grass needs to be removed from around it and the coils look terrible from the view @ 1:29

[@NobleREMC]

The purpose for this video was for the crawl space door only. We try to keep the videos short for easier viewing. This condenser was only six months old, clean and in good shape. (But stay tuned because we will soon be recording a video on cleaning and maintaining air conditioners!) Also, in a perfect world, the grass should be trimmed, but it had been raining the days leading up to this recording.

[@tsadkiel2008]

Man the boards around the frame are not even pressure treated wood @ 6:52 I feel so sorry for the homeowners you cheated out of their hard earned money.

[@tsadkiel2008]

Sooooooooooooooo, why didn't you weather seal this fabricated crawl space door? The humidity in the crawl space alone is going to eat that alive, including the gap between the old door and the new door. You should have added insulation to the back of the meatal door as well or even painted/water sealed the plywood.

[@tsadkiel2008]

Also it is more than just the crawl space door to have "a big impact on your home’s energy efficiency"

[@NobleREMC]

Thank you for watching the video! To your points: 1. There is no weather seal needed for the fabricated door. The door is inset 3-4 inches beyond the exterior plane of the siding, and in the manner that it’s installed, there’s no concern for bulk water getting behind the door. 2. About the humidity in the crawl space, we should have mentioned in this video that this crawl space is encapsulated and conditioned. We have another video about encapsulating this crawl space where you can find more information on why this type of door system is appropriate. You can find it here, kzbin.info/www/bejne/Y6XIhYWNf8iBr7M, and the information you’re looking for is in the first 3 1/2 minutes of the video. 3. There is no need to insulate the backside of the metal door. It is neither the thermal barrier nor air barrier. The thermal barrier is the 2-inch polyiso foam, and the air barrier is the CDX plywood, sealed with vinyl weather seal. The metal door is simply in place to protect against UV and extreme weather.