How to Seal a Gravel Crawlspace
Sealing crawlspaces from air leaks can improve your house's energy efficiency, building durability and indoor air quality. Improving indoor air quality by removing access points for pollutants such as radon and smog can help alleviate common health concerns including asthma and allergies. Does this Spark an idea?
Things You'll Need
- Caulk
- Expanding spray foam
- Weatherstripping
- Tape measure
- Flashlight
- Metal door
Instructions
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Before air sealing a gravel crawlspace, you have to know where the leaks are. Common places include around pipes, wiring holes and any vents. If you have just a wooden board across the door, that is a likely leak point as well.
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Use caulk or expanding spray foam to seal around pipes and wiring holes.
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If you have a gravel crawlspace rather than one with a cement floor, you have an added challenge when replacing the wooden door with a metal one. Securing the frame of the door on the sides and top will be easy, but you may want to consider pouring a concrete ledger at the bottom to keep the gravel in and air (and not so incidentally water, insects and rodents) out.
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The concrete ledger should be deep enough to support screwing the frame of the door in without cracking the concrete and wide enough to handle any traffic. Once you have the concrete ledger cured (about 24 to 48 hours depending on humidity), install the metal door and then the weatherstripping.
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Tips & Warnings
Insulate the crawlspace after sealing to increase energy efficiency.
Check radon levels. Kits are available at most hardware stores.
