What is the best way to combine insulation on the inside and outside of my crawl space?

M
Maury Miloff
Updated: Nov. 4, 2024

I am in Zone 6, Quebec. Recently, as part of a structural reno I added onto one of the long walls of the crawlspace two staggered and taped 2" panels of moisture resistant non vapour barrier S.R.P. 400 Styrorail rigid foam (total: R16.4) covering my rim joist and around 3 feet (nearly all) of the concrete foundation wall below it, held with tap screws and backfilled with sand. This insulation is covered by stick-on Resisto membrane except for the bottom 8" or so and then flashing nailed in above the rim joist under the siding. All of the insulation is below a deck and the deck has around 3" of breathing space above 5" of gravel. The siding is above the deck.

(1) What would be the benefit to add insulation as well to the interior of the crawl space. I am keen to have better air in the house and to conserve energy. The crawl space has a radon assembly including a 6 or 10ml tarp taped up the walls 1-2 feet. I was thinking of adhering (A) 2" (R13) or 3" (R17) of Styrorail EPS S.R. Radiant board which is laminated to a vapour barrier reflective membrane against the cement blocks (B) a rigid foam which is vapour permeable to better allow drying to the interior or (C) sprayfoam probably 3" And if sprayfoam, what do I do with the floor tarp going up the walls?

(2) Would I need to leave space to view termites?

(3) What do I place in the wooden rim joist/joist/sill cavity and do I cover it with a vapour barrier? Can I use available Rockwool? If sprayfoam, is it better to use open cell? The wood noted above is all fresh. How long do I need to wait before insulating?

(4) Before insulating do I need to seal possible small cracks or remove mold in concrete blocks?

(5) Once unvented and sealed, do I need to connect the air in the crawl space to the rest of the house. Currently, there is a somewhat dank smell in the crawl space for reasons unknown.

(6) If I added exterior insulation to the other crawl space walls how would you do it differently than I described above?

(7) As these are a lot of questions and answers lead to more questions, is it possible to hire an expert from Ecohome on a consulting basis? With thanks in advance! Maury

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