I am under contract on a 2015-built, 6' raised house in New Orleans. The inspector noted:

- No vapor barrier between the crawlspace and the living space.
- Standard, paper-faced, batt insulation was used and is sagging/loose in some spaces.

The recommendation from the inspector was to remove the batt insulation and install closed-cell spray foam or rigid foamboard insulation. This is the first house I have purchased with a crawlspace, so I'm looking for some comments. How critical is this issue? Ballpark costs to DIY vs. hired-out to upgrade this? Thanks!



Edit: For pics.

He didn't flag the non insulated water lines ?

JP76 said:

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He didn't flag the non insulated water lines ?

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Pex is freeze-resistant.

To bad its not rat resistant. An the tee's and elbows are likely not freeze resistant.

Agree with inspector + hire a private bldg. inspector to guard against all the other corners cut, some mentioned above.

No architect on board?
Your builder was rated A+ @ BBB?
Caveat Emptor!

Pvt. bldg. inspector might show you ways to mitigate costs to become in conformance ...

Thank you for the feedback. I do not know who the builder is, so I can't help with that. Also, our option period is running short, so time is of the essence for additional inspections.

Can you give me some insight into rat/rodent proofing? There is a thin mesh, but it's pretty spotty. Metal sheathing around the piers? Ballpark cost would be helpful too as I can negotiate with the seller.

While it is more forgiving and less prone to rupturing than copper it still will freeze and I saw plenty of it burst last February. Any pex exposed to outdoor air such as in an non heated crawlspace should be insulated to help prevent freezing. In an attic it is standard practice to leave it un insulated as long as blown in insulation is place over the top of it.

I have never foamed one, but many moons ago I did install 3/4 inch celotex foam board under a new construction house like this and then taped all the seams with foil tape. Not sure about Louisiana but in Texas most subfloors are not insulated on pier and beam homes. The few pier and beam additions and new houses I have built like this have never been insulated underneath except for the one who wanted the 3/4 celotex foam boards put under it. I use 1 1/8 subfloor on my builds so the thermal transfer is a lot less and money is better spent insulating the attic compared to the floor in Texas. Now up north that is probably another story.

You need to start by sealing those huge gaps under the existing skirting. Also once sealed you will need to add venting to the existing skirting to prevent future moisture/condensation/rot issues on the subfloor framing.

This is New Orleans and termites are a huge huge problem and unless they used a different treatment method, I am not seeing the borax that should be on the would closest to the ground. The pilings should be pre-treated but I would confirm. See pic.



If you follow suggestion from another poster and dropped the skirting to the ground, this becomes increasingly more important. Depending on location in NO, if you take skirting to ground you may want to look into flood vents for flowing water. Even the brick should have them, but not always required.

Also, ensure proper drainage underneath, which does not appear to be the case from the pics. Standing water in NO will mean mosquitos, snakes, other critters.

To you OP, we do batt insulation underneath covered by Hardie board, but this is a building requirement for us. The pex would be installed up in the cavity with only the PVC supply and drain lines protruding, and those should be insulated.

I would second another suggestion above and hire a private inspector. You may still want the house, but make sure there are no structural defects / issues and he can confirm or dispel what I wrote. Best of luck, you may just need to invest a bit to get the house prepped against the elements.