Crawl Space & Cabin Floor Insulation in Gaylord, MI

Crawl space and cabin floor insulation is how a summer cabin becomes a winter one. Many cabins and lake homes around Gaylord sit on piers or short crawl spaces built for July, not January. Cold air flows under the floor, pipes run through unheated space, and the floor above stays cold no matter how hard the furnace works. In a place with a record low of -37F, that is how pipes freeze.

Two ways to do it

One option insulates the floor above the crawl space; ENERGY STAR's floor target for Zone 6A is R-30. That leaves the crawl space outside the house, so pipes and ducts down there still need protection.

The other option seals the crawl space and insulates its walls with closed-cell foam, closes the vents and puts a liner on the ground. The crawl space becomes part of the house, and pipes in it stay above freezing. For cabins used in winter, that is usually the better choice.

Moisture

Ground moisture and spring melt can make crawl spaces wet. A sealed liner on the ground and foam on the walls keep moisture out of the floor framing. If water stands in the crawl space, drainage comes first.

Seasonal homes

A seasonal home that sits empty with low heat needs a dry, protected crawl space more than anyone. Sealing it reduces the chance of frozen pipes and keeps the floor framing dry between visits.

Costs

HomeGuide lists crawl space foam at $2,000 to $4,000, closed-cell on crawl walls at $2 to $5 per square foot and a vapor barrier at $1,200 to $4,000. Fixr lists crawl space foam at $1,000 to $5,900.