Best cheap Foundation Access Door, 32" x 32" for $59.96

Rating : Models : CL-3232 By : Vestal Manufacturing Usually ships in 1-2 business days Price :

Foundation Access Door, 32" x 32" Overviews

Heavy gauge steel, all welded construction. Built-in lintel attached. inevitable latch made to accept padlock. Coated with gray corrosion resistant paint.

Foundation Access Door, 32" x 32" Features

• Vestal Mfg Co. 32"X32" Foundation access Door Cl-3232
• Vestal Mfg Co

House Foundation

Under the Floor Surprises and Energy Savings

Foundation Access Door

A home energy audit is not complete without a trip under the floor. There are home energy secrets under the floor just waiting to be discovered - things that need to be considered before a true determination can be made as to energy waste and energy savings.

House Foundation And How Underfloor Surprises Cause Energy Waste

Going into a crawl space is like going into a contaminated cavity of unknown perils. This reminds me of one reason I am not a dentist. A true crawl space crawler suits up with protective clothes, mask, gloves, hat, and booties. The wise leave their glasses, cell phones, iPods, GPS, cameras, and other valuables behind least you never see them again. Lost in the dark and damp where batteries melt and electronic gadgets turn rust colored.

The place under the floor is very unfriendly; except to those creatures that have four legs instead of two. There isn't an animal roaming the neighborhood that would not like to be under your feet on a cold winters night. Burrowing into the insulation or working to get closer to a warm heating duct, the creature is not concerned with shredded insulation, holes in heating ducts, wasted energy, or your exhausted pocketbook.

A crawl space is a great club house - a place to get warm, hide out, meet your friends and go to the bathroom.

Critters gain access to the crawl space through man made openings:

• The outside foundation access with a door that simply does not close completely and
• The foundation vents that have lost their plastic flappers and have big holes in the fine wire mesh.

The wire mesh was designed to let air pass through so the space can breath. It's important that the space has enough ventilation. With broken or missing screens, not only does air pass through the vent, but every member of the feral community does too. Critters in the crawl space is energy wasteful. And, just to be helpful, those same critters, when you finally enter the crawl space to repair the damage, leave little fragrant reminders of their need to eliminate the results of a digested mouse or two.

The healthy, energy efficient crawl space only has five things in it.

• Hot and cold water lines.
• Drain pipes for the waste water.
• Heating ducts
• Insulation
• And black visqueen covering the ground.

Just for comparison, here's a few items I have found in a crawl space that really shouldn't be there.

• Dogs, cats, rats and wolves.
• Silverware, plastic plates and table cloths.
• Bicycles, skateboards and tennis shoes.
• Christmas decorations and fake Christmas trees.
• Abandoned wells with the water pumps still sitting on the casing.
• Sleeping bags, shovels, racks and lawnmowers.
• Basketballs, tents, barbecue's, sunglasses and tennis rackets.
• Mold, mildew, dryrot, and spiders, lots and lots of spiders.

Yes, I did mention wolves. Just today, I was under a floor that was being used as a wolf house. A wolf house is a dog house for wolves. Yes, really. This house had an extra tall space between the ground and the floor and a large opening in the concrete foundation. The back yard was well fenced and contained two wolves and they used the space as their wolf house. This was one crawl space that showed no signs of having a problem with neighborhood cats.

For a healthy and energy efficient space that will keep your feet warm and your power bill low, follow these suggestions:

• Secure the crawl access opening so you have the option of using the opening but animals do not.
• Repair or replace foundation vents. Remember, open in spring, closed in fall.
• Air seal the floor. Use caulk or spray foam to seal wiring, pipe, heat ducts and any other penetration through the floor.
• Insulate the floor with the most R-Value possible.
• Seal and insulate the heating ducts.
• Cover the ground with 6 mil black plastic

The crawl space is really the foundation of your home when considering energy efficiency. What's going on in the crawl space has a huge effect on your home's energy waste and energy savings.

Thanks for stopping by, hope you will come back soon. But, remember, I won't leave the light on for you...

House Foundation And How Underfloor Surprises Cause Energy Waste

Don Ames is a home energy auditor and is the host at http://detectenergy.com. Also the publisher of the email newsletter the Energy Spy Insider.