On 4/18/2011 9:48 AM, ransley wrote:
On Apr 17, 10:20 pm, "larry moe 'n
wrote:
wrote:
Hello all,

Looking for opinions on crawl space insulation. This is for an old
rent house on block and pad foundation. I am considering either R13 or
1 1/2" rigid foam (vapor barrier on one side and radiant barrier on
the other).

Fiber seems to have better cumulative R-value. However, I don't know
if bugs and crawlies nesting in it will be an issue. I can get the 1
1/2 for about 10 dollars a piece. Fiber will let me do this
incrementally as time allows.

Do fire codes actually allow installing foam without covering it with
something highly fire resistant? Should they allow it?

It may be code to cover it, I think its the fumes that will kill you
if it burns. Fiberglass doesnt have that issue. I think.

I thought the requirement to cover it was only within the living area,
or around ignition sources? I'd love to hang a foam panel curtain from
the sill plate in my abandoned barely-accessible garage bay in the
basement, but nobody around here sells the fire-rated stuff. Don't wanna
stud it out and finish it due to moisture problems, but I figured a foam
curtain from the sill plate to a few inches above the slab (and well
below grade) would would warm the space and the bedrooms above it, and
still let me see any leaks as they occur. Remove a couple screws, and
the panel could pop right off.

--
aem sends....