Nationwide Foam Adhesive Insulates Crawlspace at Clearwater Home

CLEARWATER, FL – November 6, 2012 – Ignoring the crawlspace under your home can lead to a whole host of problems including costly energy bills, critter infestation, and unhealthy mold growth causing an unpleasant odor in the home. Nationwide Foam Adhesive was recently called in to insulate a residential crawlspace, which suffered from moisture issues, with spray foam.

The homeowner contacted Nationwide once the weather started getting colder because the wood floors became uncomfortable. Paul Hutchins, Nationwide's Owner, said, "People don't pay attention to their crawlspaces in the summer, but when winter comes and it gets cold, we get more calls."

When Nationwide arrived at the project site, they noticed an odor coming from the crawlspace, which was caused by moisture resulting from the home being located close to the intracoastal water way.

Hutchins reflected, "The odor was so strong under there that I don't know how they couldn't have smelled it in the house."

Most houses that do not have a slab normally have a crawlspace, which tend not to be properly sealed, leaving them vulnerable to the outside elements.

"Over time, the area gets moist and wet and the odor transfers through if there are any cracks," said Hutchins. "This gives the home a musky smell."

When spray foam application began, crewmembers had only about two feet of crawlspace to work with. The space had no existing insulation, just raw wood, and the area was dirty and full of sand. The crawlspace was divided into different sections and there were only two openings to get in and out, making it tricky for crewmembers. "We just crawled around in the dirt," Hutchins said. "We ran across a few interesting things, but, luckily, no snakes."

Nationwide applied one inch of 2 lb. closed-cell spray foam, made by Dow, to the crawlspace. The total spray area was roughly 3,000 sq. ft. and it took two crewmembers about a day and a half to complete the project in October of 2012.

Hutchins said the homeowner was ecstatic with the outcome of the project. The spray foam application alleviated the odor problem, kept the wood floors a more comfortable temperature, and provided added floor support, preventing the boards from squeaking. Hutchins knew spray foam was the right choice for insulation. "The foam seals out all the smell, cuts down the moisture, and tightens the floor up, so you don't have a squeaky floor," he said. "It just does a good job."

About Nationwide Foam Adhesive: Nationwide is a family-owned and operated spray foam insulation company serving Central and Northern Florida. Nationwide will work with you to protect your home and lower your home energy costs through the proper application of Hurricane Adhesive/Insulation. For more information about Nationwide Foam Adhesive, please use the contact details and links provided below.