Crawl Space Repair - Radiant Barrier

A radiant barrier was used within the floor joists of this crawl space, instead of fiberglass insulation, which is more common in Richmond homes. The idea was to have the radiant barrier facing upwards in the floor joists to reflect the heat back into the home, but instead, the heat simply became trapped between the barrier and the subfloor. A pocket of heat was created under the subfloor where the wood would sweat, and mold would grow. The paperbacks of the radiant barrier were also subject to mold growth, and the barrier would be eaten away over time not only by mold but by mice and insects. The remaining pieces of the barrier are scattered on the floor, exposing the subfloor even further.