Crawl Space Encapsulation & Spray Foam in Chattanooga, TN

Nobody understands the science of building better than Foametix. If you want to create a thermally efficient and air tight space, it's not enough just to insulate. You must choose the right insulation and air sealing system for the application, and be sure it's properly installed. At Foametix, we fully seal our crawlspaces ensuring you won't need a dehumidifier. Trust a veteran-owned insulation company in Chattanooga.

No Dehumidifier Required

If your home has a musty smell that won't go away, cold floors every winter, or humidity you just can't get a handle on, the problem is almost always under your feet. Most crawl spaces in the Chattanooga area are damp, vented, and wide open to the soil — and that moisture doesn't stay down there. It rises straight up into your living space, carrying odors, mold spores, and allergens with it. That's exactly what crawl space encapsulation puts a stop to.

Foametix encapsulates your crawl space by sealing it completely at the source. We spray closed-cell foam across the foundation walls and rim joists, lay down a heavy-duty reinforced ground cover, tape every seam, and wrap every pier. Top to bottom, the space is sealed tight — so moisture, soil gases, and outside air simply have no way in anymore.

Here's what sets us apart: you'll never need a dehumidifier. Most crawl space companies seal the space and then sell you a dehumidifier to fight the moisture that still sneaks in — one more machine to run, maintain, and replace. We seal it so thoroughly there's no moisture to fight in the first place. No equipment on your power bill, no service calls, no humidity creeping back.

The result is a clean, dry, controlled environment under your home. The musty smell disappears, your floors get warmer, and your energy bills drop. Most homeowners head back down after we're done and think the same thing: dang, this is actually kinda nice down here.

To be clear, this isn't waterproofing — it's complete crawl space encapsulation, done right. And it's done by a veteran-owned Chattanooga crew that's been sealing crawl spaces the same careful way for over 17 years. No franchise fees, no subcontractors, no shortcuts.

Crawl Spaces & Basement Insulation and Remedy

There may not be an area of the home that creates a bigger hazard to the occupants health than that of typical crawl spaces.

Most homes with crawl spaces are not properly insulated for moisture control and this can pose health concerns for the occupants, especially children.

Lack of properly sealed and insulated crawl space can allow deadly and odorless gases to affect occupants. It can also become breeding ground for insects, rodents and mold. In addition, it could cause damage to the foundation and the floor system.

The Stack Effect

Crawl spaces are often damp, humid spaces due to water runoff from rain, irrigation systems or an elevated water table. While the residential building code requires crawl space ventilation, this ventilation does virtually nothing to mitigate moisture problems and can actually make moisture problems worse.

The Solution

Crawl space encapsulation involves sealing the crawl space walls with a Closed Cell Polyurethane spray foam application and covering the ground using a tough 15-20 mil, reinforced polyethylene sheeting (not some thin 6 mil poly) taped carefully at the seams and adhered to the top or bottom of the concrete foundation wall.

Our preferred method is to spray foam the crawl space walls and rim joists, fully encapsulating the exterior perimeter of the crawl space. With this option, it is actually better to leave the floor underside un-insulated! What this does is create a completely conditioned space so there is no chance of pipes freezing, and the floors directly above are much warmer and more comfortable.

Our preferred method involves sealing the edges of the ground plastic with the wall foam, so any water that might enter through the block wall would seep its way behind the foam, under the plastic, and back into the ground. Some seams can do better long term by being left unsealed, but fully overlapped, so that water can still get back under the plastic into the ground. In cases where the water table is high, it can still be wise to seal them, but its overall better to have a fully operating sump pump in conjunction with the spray foam and plastic.

Sealing up all ventilation entering the crawl space is a specification 'if' it is decided that ventilation is not necessary for mechanicals. Sealed below this sheeting are soil gases, moisture, water vapor and odors that typically would be drawn up into the living space above.

The Foametix Solution

We are very proud of our projects because our specs are superior and our prices even better! We do not pay any enormous franchise or licensing fees to national companies, therefore, we are able to design a system that fits your home and your budget.

Nobody understands the science of building better than Foametix.

If you want to build a thermally efficient and air tight home, it's not enough just to insulate. You must choose the right insulation and air sealing system for the application, and be sure it's properly installed. Our Building Science experts understand the principles of heat, air and moisture flow, and how the building envelope interacts with a building's mechanical systems as well as its occupants.

N.A.S.A. applied one-inch of spray-on foam insulation on the Space Shuttle's External Tank that serves to insulate the tank. The closed-cell foam used on the tank was developed to keep the Shuttle's liquid hydrogen fuel at minus 423 degrees Fahrenheit and the liquid oxygen tank at near minus 297 degrees Fahrenheit even as the tank sits under the hot Florida sun while preventing a buildup of ice on the outside of the tank.

Properly insulating and sealing your homes with Spray Foam is a greener alternative.

We can help you in specifying the right insulation system for our local climate. Contact our Building Science experts with your inquiries at 423-710-2529.

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