Sealing moisture out of the crawl space is a very crucial step to keeping your home safe from the dangers that moisture can create. From mold growth to rotting floor joists, moisture can be a formidable foe to homeowners. Installing insulation in the crawl space can help with this problem, however, if done incorrectly, namely without being installed with a vapor barrier, the damage can still occur whether it is out in plain sight or not. In this post, we are going to address closed-cell spray foam insulation. It works wonders to seal gaps, which are areas that are highly responsible for moisture intrusion. However, if spray foam is blanketed over floor joists and other foundational structures without any other protective measures, such as a vapor barrier, then your efforts and materials will be wasted and potentially cover up further damage accumulation. In the event that you are looking back on a previous decision, you had made or are now realizing that the previous homeowner made the mistake, it is important to take care of removing the insulation to carry forward. You want to make sure that all of the wood and other important structures are made to be completely exposed during the removal. The next step would be to assess the damage, if any, and how badly the structures were affected. Be sure to keep track of the materials you would need to purchase to make the repairs. It is best to now create a bleach solution that you can then roll on (to avoid agitating any mold spores into the air) to treat any mold or mildew growth. Once the insulation and any external damaging factors have been removed or repaired, the next step is to contact your local crawl space or foundation expert to help with appropriately installing insulation in your crawl space to keep it safe from moisture. Give Barrier Waterproofing Systems a call at (615) 257-1060 today if you have spray foam installed in your crawl space and need a trained eye to assess any damage. We will also install insulation in your crawl space that will last you generations!