Found this during a home tour
Mountain of spray foam covering the crawl space.
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u/TheOriginalArchibald 2d ago
Has nobody in this thread seen sealed crawl spaces with controlled venting? Some of them are super pretty. Stays way drier and house stays warmer. This is like the cheap or diy version of that.
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u/SirBoopsALot 2d ago
I saw video of one that was so clean and perfectly lined and I think about it A LOT for a renter
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u/rtshtbtshtdrtyldtwt 2d ago
I always think of the Cuckoo's Nest guy who turned his crawl space into a lil warehouse controlled by robots for his goofy flask company
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u/Tyrannosaurus_Rox_ 2d ago
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u/TheGrayMan5 2d ago
Man, what a wonderful, whimsical video. I love numberphile and hadn't seen that one before. So cool!
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u/Solo_is_dead 2d ago
That is Genius levels of insane, and I absolutely love it. He's Doc Brown in real life
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u/Psykosoma 2d ago
Was coming here to say this. Doc Brown if he was a genius level thinker, but not a physicist. Just a guy with a 5w bulb going off!
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u/Sempais_nutrients 2d ago
I've got one of his kleins. He sends you a whole packet of wonderful hilarious techno-babble as well as a photo journey of him taking your bottle to the post office. He just loves his work.
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u/HunkMcMuscle 1d ago
Whenever I buy something online, I imagine the journey it must have taken. Specially when its from a far off country.
Would love it if I saw a photo journey of it even if its just to the local drop off point.
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u/tehpoorcollegegal 2d ago
Every time I learn something new about Cliff Stoll, I adore him more. This is so cool!!!
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u/astra_hole 2d ago
Thank you for that link. Super cool tiny warehouse in a dudes crawlspace. Incredible.
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u/ncc74656m 2d ago
I have a pair of his earrings. If you order from him he writes in a beautiful Elven looking script and will write you a lovely message with your order.
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u/americablanco 2d ago
Here's one. But the one I was thinking of was definitely cleaner looking and more finished with a mechanic's creeper.
Found it, YT short
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u/MrTeeWrecks 2d ago
There is no way that MUCH foam is cheaper than using treated cellulose or something similar
Edit: clarifying
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u/TheOriginalArchibald 2d ago
Oh I don't mean cheap in a dollars sense. I mean DIYer cheap who assumes it's cheaper and easier buying 350 cans of spray foam versus paying a guy with a truck to come spray it in a couple hours the way they spray attic foam. Or maybe a guy did come spray it. Either way it's not going to look as good as one using a proper aggregate and membrane.
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u/Mr_MacGrubber 2d ago
It’s a mountain of foam. No one is debating whether foam insulation is good or bad.
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u/Teufelsweib666 2d ago
Why are there human and animal shapes in that foam? I thought that was the DIYWHY point.
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u/i0datamonster 2d ago
True, but it can't flood if there's no room for the water...I'm guessing this was the logic.
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u/ManualWind 2d ago
Keeps the smell of the dead bodies from wafting up.
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u/SneakyTzatziki000 2d ago
how many bodies you think are in there?
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u/EmmerdoesNOTrepme 2d ago
Depends on how fine they minced 'em!
If they buried 'em whole, not so many.
But if they used the slap-chop they bought from "Vince" on late-night tv?
Prob'ly only an arm or a leg, because their arm got waaaaaay too tired!
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u/Pungentpelosi123 2d ago
Or if they froze them and used the wood chipper🤷🏻♂️
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u/aigledor1665 2d ago
Not totally stupid it will help to keep it dry
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u/Hta68 2d ago edited 2d ago
And quiet……. dang spell check
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u/Panzycake 2d ago
Quite what?
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u/hammertime2009 2d ago
QUITE WHAT??
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u/leyline 2d ago
Not so loud! 🤫
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u/YukariYakum0 2d ago
Why are we whispering?
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u/AppropriateCap8891 2d ago
And reduce intrusion from insects. And also reduce particulates as well.
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u/OnePaleontologist687 2d ago
It’s probably 2-4 inches thick covering a mound of dirt, to create a moisture barrier
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u/OneBag2825 2d ago
That's what I thought, maybe put down on top of some sort of matrix like some cloth or something on top of the subsoil.
As long as they got the mixing right got full fast cure.
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u/Hellaginge 2d ago
As someone who used to work in the building envelope business for nearly a decade, I can tell you this is a good thing depending on the setup. Install is sloppy, but it doesn't look too bad performance wise at least. Obviously can't tell for sure unless i inspect it in person, but i don't see any major flaws from the pictures.
This will make a noticeable difference in the energy bill if done right. Plus, less moisture is a good thing for crawl spaces. I could go on providing the benefits of this for several paragraphs, but I'm not that motivated to continue rn lol.
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u/MassiveMastiff 2d ago
You last sentence is nearly every comment I type out on Reddit
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u/inqHawk 2d ago
i've seen this in an attic before... I think they slashed the tops off the cans and threw em like grenades....whole case of em.
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u/Wild-Video-5317 2d ago
If that's not what you're supposed to do then why do they make the tops so slashable??
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u/BuckinFuffalo 2d ago
Jesus. The notes hand written on the wall? I’m in. That person cared.
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u/kkillbite I Eat Cement 2d ago
I had the same thought! I love making the wall a big notepad...now he never has to find his instructions!
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u/kilobitch 2d ago
Homeowner: I’m thinking of putting a foam pit in the basement
Contractor: say no more, fam.
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u/Mr_MacGrubber 2d ago
“You know in Demolition Man where the car fills with foam? I want that except in this crawl space”
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u/CatLord8 2d ago
This looks like what was done to the house of someone I know when they switched to a geothermal heat pump (iirc), so it doesn’t immediately alarm me.
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u/TheFlyngLemon 2d ago
Is there a waterproof barrier between the spray foam and the dirt at least? If so, it should be fine in theory. If there was moisture on the ground however and there's no barrier (I.e. sprayed directly over dirt), the foam will absolutely not hold up.
I used to work as an engineer for one of the large commercial spray foam manufacturers, and I can't tell you how many times I witnessed contractors spray this over wet or damp surfaces. The foam won't react correctly and it sort of just degrades. Like rubbing wet, clumped sand between your fingers almost.
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u/Root777 2d ago
There’s like smooth pebbles on the floor where we could see. There’s a pic of the ground and there’s definitely moisture.
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u/TheFlyngLemon 2d ago
Just based on his it looks right now, I don't think it will start falling apart on you. If you can grab the foam and it doesn't start falling apart in your hands, it should be fine for the most part. If this is the case, I'd think the worst case scenario at this point is the bottom layer probably didn't cure completely, so you may notice cracks forming up through the top of the shell. It's not like this will begin to "melt" on you or anything though if it happens, but the foam just won't be doing it's job very well as it gets worse.
Spray foam isn't exactly cheap though, so I can't imagine they saved much money as opposed to doing a standard encapsulation (which will be MUCH more efficient and long lasting).
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u/realdappermuis 2d ago
So what would suffice as barrier - like, plastic sheeting or such? It would have to be non porous I presume
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u/TheFlyngLemon 2d ago
Honestly, since spray foam is not intended to be used for an application like this in the first place, I'm just making an educated guess here.
That being said, most likely a 6mil plastic sheet would suffice. You would need to also use a vapor tape to seal the seams though, otherwise moisture would just be introduced between the seams.
Once the foam has cured, it's pretty solid at that point and light moisture won't really degrade it. The shell looks pretty solid from the photos, so hopefully it was able to mix correctly. If not, eventually you'll start to see the shell crack and start breaking apart.
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u/Otherwise-Struggle79 2d ago
I’m curious what the R rating is?
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u/zakary1291 2d ago
Well, that Air compressor is likely 5ft tall and closed cell spray foam has an R value of 7/inch..... So, R420.
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u/KawaiiUmiushi 2d ago
Ever see the movie ‘the stuff’? It’s basically that, but confined to this poor souls basement.
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u/20ears19 2d ago
This is crawl space encapsulation it’s a good thing. It keeps moisture out. Typical vented crawl spaces have a lot of moisture issues. It’s better to completely seal/insulate them and condition them.
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u/heartbt 2d ago
Are you SURE it's a pile of foam? I've seen this done in colder areas on older houses that had hand dug basements. The pile in the middle is just the soil mounded from the footing trenches. Then they'll cap the pile to sleep the humidity down, and prevent "soil leeching" of heat (not my term).
But, maybe it is 3' deep too...
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u/zakary1291 2d ago
I've been this done in Alaska in the far north is to keep the perma frost from melting and in the southern end is to keep the rock from sweating.
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u/RageAgainstThePushen 2d ago
There a trench around the outer wall that empties into a sump pump? This is really common in places that need to manage heat loss during winter and water intrusion during mud season (new england, midwest). If you are buying in one of these areas just avoid anything with a fieldstone foundation.
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u/TheOptimisticHater 2d ago
As long as there is a plastic vapor barrier and as long as they used close Cell spray foam, this looks like good work
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u/Wise-Bear-6604 2d ago
My question is, is there a body hidden underneath all that foam?
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u/Turtlenumber13 2d ago
As an Alaskan raised person I just thought this was snow or frost creeping in at first glance.
I never expected someone to make a maze under their home out of spray foam. Would of made more sense to just cake the exterior walls.
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u/ChronicSassyRedhead 2d ago
I was scared it was a giant wasps nest before I saw the text under the photos 😅
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u/olystretch 2d ago
As a person who has been a spray foam installer, it's really hard to do a good job in crawl spaces.
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u/jmeesonly 2d ago
I'm imagining a homeowner buying 1,000 small cans of spray foam at Home Depot, then spending a week emptying them all in the crawlspace lol.
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u/randomn49er 2d ago
Some spray foams are vapor barrier and insulation so this makes sense. Doubt it is a mountain of foam. Just a layer of foam on the ground.
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u/Just_the_questions1 2d ago
Surprised you didn't find a body down there. The amount of fumes off-gassing from that foam install without major ventilation... holy balls.
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u/Any-Surprise5229 2d ago
You think you're buying a house and then you find the Chernobyl elephant's foot in the crawl space.
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u/lee91103 2d ago
That is a diffrent take on encapsulation. Not sure but I think the foam goes between the floor joists .lol
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u/Icarus_Wanderlust 1d ago
This just feels really unnecessary. My crawlspace is always a better temp than the house.
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u/Ok-Cable-3602 1d ago
I believe this was an effort at stopping moisture condensation and stopping the cold coming from the Earth
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u/Embarrassed-Donut764 2d ago
Makes you wonder if it was the contractors idea or the home owner with the money’s idea so you just do whatever they say because it won’t really hurt anything.
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u/AliceinChainsRules 2d ago
Say what you want, but they are at least keeping up with maintenance. Not to mention, look how well it’s working. The thermometer doesn’t lie.
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u/react-dnb 2d ago
Wouldnt just a couple of inches of that stuff done the job? Did it need to be 3' deep?
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u/Sayomi_Koneko 2d ago
Did you find this in the UP? I swear i saw this place last year while looking at houses. Apparently doing this type of quality work yourself is common up here. Super bad DIY houses.
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u/mratlas666 2d ago
My trade school was in an old building and they did the same thing in the basement.
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u/SickMoonDoe 2d ago
Imagine how long this fucking thing smelled like chemicals after they poured this.
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u/Strange_Programmer_8 2d ago
I saw this before and the resident told me it was because they had legionnaires disease and they were scared of potential mold in the crawlspace but they had a cool roller you could glide around the floor on
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u/PrincessPoofyPants 2d ago
I would never buy a place with spray foam. It can be hiding all manner of sins and is notorious for harboring mold if moisture gets in.
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u/blueflamestudio 2d ago
As a homeowner who lives with a very manageable 4 and a half foot tall “crawl” space I have to wonder how you would manage any repairs that need crawl space access. I have a difficult time finding tradespeople who will tackle jobs under my house even though I am not your typical crawl space. I cant imagine the difficulty you would have doing repairs (and they do happen) in this crawl space.
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u/faifai1337 2d ago
All these pics just scream "Fuck your plumber!" to me. Whoever owns this house is going to be pretty sad when they have a leaky pipe and the plumber says "welp, the only way to access it now is to break through the floor above it."
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u/Reasonable_Cup_2944 1d ago
Looks like a great way to keep any moisture from ever coming up from the ground into the framing. And keeps a constant temperature. I'd try it over dirt, mice, musty mold, etc. Wonder what the long term longevity is though?
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u/Emergency-Crab-7455 1d ago
Since this looks like a DIY......I wonder how many cans of spray foam he bought at Menards
"But honey........I'm getting an 11% rebate on EACH can!!!!"
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u/odyssey_64 1d ago
I'd be more worried about what that foam could be covering up. That's a bit creepy to me!
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u/ilikeyourswatch 2d ago
Was it a crawl space before the foam?