INSULATION

Fiberglass itself has excellent qualities as an insulating material. It can have an R-value as high as 3.8 per in.; it's also inexpensive and easy to cut. But fiberglass loses its R-value when it gets wet, and paper-faced fiberglass batts provide an excellent breeding ground for mold if the paper gets wet.

If you combine paper-faced fiberglass insulation, wood wall framing, and standard gypsum wallboard, all you need to add is moisture to create a near-perfect, cellulose-rich mold habitat.

Unfortunately, that's exactly the construction method used in many crawl spaces and basements.

A single "water event," like a leaky washing machine or leaks in foundation walls, can provide enough moisture for a major mold infestation. High humidity levels alone are enough to cause mold to grow if the right nutrients are in place.

Foil-faced "polyiso" foam panels are often secured to foundation walls to insulate a basement.

Basement and crawl space insulation is a popular topic these days. Many people are interested in improving home energy performance by adding insulation in different parts of the house. Other folks want to insulate basement walls as they turn unfinished basement areas into living space. In either case, it's important to select the right type of insulation for this particular application. Instead of building wood-frame walls inside the crawl space or basement foundation and installing fiberglass batt insulation, it's better to insulate the below-grade space with rigid foam insulation. Foil-faced "polyiso" foam panels are often secured to foundation walls.

Alternatively, foam-core wall panels can be erected inside foundation walls to create a finished wall system with built-in insulation. Both applications avoid the moisture problems associated with fiberglass batts and wood-framed walls.