HEBREW QUALITY INSULATION

A well contractor working in our crawl space brought to our attention a problem with extreme moisture in a large portion (1/3) of the floor insulation above our the our crawl space. You could hit the insulation with your hand and it would literally rain down. Many areas had fallen due to the weight of the water. Additionally, a few spots of mildew growth, but not pervasive. No problem with standing water, but soil feels damp to the touch and the vapor barrier was a shambles throughout from careless workers over the years. Home is 18 years old with original insulation. We began by having someone remove all of the obviously wet and/or mildewy insulation and dispose of it, while we investigated options. We priced out several alternatives, including sealing up the crawlspace altogether into an unvented arrangement with foam insulation on the walls, a 20 mil seamed vapor barrier, and dehumidification (very expensive). We invited Hebrew Insulation (on a recommendation from a family member) for a proposal. Their bid seemed extremely low, which concerned us, as he was quoting the whole job cheaper than I could get just the materials for myself. But after lots of inquiries, we confirmed that his was simply a very efficient no-frills operation. Surprisingly, he even used a new Eco formaldehyde-free insulation (http://www.knaufinsulation.us/ecose_technology/ecobatt?_glasswool.aspx) which we later found out to be far superior to the original fiberglas we had. In the end, we had someone else do the painstaking work of removing the old insulation, clearing the crawl space of all debris, raking it perfectly smooth, and laying down an extra-thick (10 mil) vapor barrier, complete with taped/caulked seams. We decided on someone else, since Hebrew did not seem interested in any of the slow, meticulous work I wanted done. But for the insulation itself, we had Hebrew do it, and we were extremely impressed! The crew knew how to work quickly, and made short work of the entire job (2/3 of a day for 2400 sf). They even followed-up with bleach solution to kill any lingering mildew. Going forward, if we continue to have dampness problems (it stays very humid here), we plan to seal the crawl space vents, and add a dehumidifier. Our problems appear to have come from (a) too much moisture wicking up from the shredded vapor barrier, (b) two damp (not wet) corners where downspouts were not diverted away, (c) extremely humid air coming in through the vents this summer, and (d) poor overall airflow through the crawlspace. In the end, I was extremely impressed with Hebrew (efficiency, price and quality), and would absolutely use them again for any insulation job. I docked their punctuality and professionalism scores a bit. First, while Hebreaux (the owner) was initially very responsive, by the time we were ready to go he was immersed in another large job, and was not able to get back to me quickly to do the work or even acknowledge a date. This was a bit frustrating, and did not inspire confidence. In the end though, he stood by his work and was good to his word.