Ask the Energy Advisor - Sealing a Crawl Space Door 

I did the same - you'll be glad you did this. I have two access doors and replaced those with new plywood and rubber air seals along the sides. I also attached three 1-inch sheets of foam insulation to the inside of each door, giving me R-15 insulation. As a final protection, I sprayed waterproofing on the outside of the doors to minimize the effects of weather. Here in central Virginia, it gets down to 25-30 most nights and daytime highs average mid-40s. All winter, my crawl space never got below 60 and averaged about 64.

This is the one we used in our video series, but any brand will work: www.lowes.com/pd/M-D-7-ft-x-3-8-in-White-Aluminum-Vinyl-Door-Weatherstrip/1000286479.

Something we weren't able to show is that when we installed the insulation in the crawl space, we cut a square in the insulation around the vents to be able to remove that piece if moisture is found in the future. That's why it's important to check the moisture levels of the crawl space and ensure there's a proper vapor barrier (which is what we did).

Thanks for reaching out! Obviously, it’s difficult to make recommendations without knowing all factors, so please consult a reputable carpenter before doing any work. My first thought would be to move the opening to a discreet location and abandon the crawl space opening in the main entrance. If it’s in a high traffic area - because it’s going to expand and contract at different rates - there’s always the potential for uplift and curling of the flooring. Unfortunately, it sounds like the situation you’re in, it is what it is and may not be easily fixed or changed. If you need reinforcement on the crawl space door, think of it as a vertical wall. You could frame the backside of the plywood with traditional 2x4 lumber. This should give you the weight needed to keep the door flat, as well as give you the ability to get rid of the trim and throw a rug over the entire area.

@@NobleREMC Thank you so much, these are my thoughts too and i do have a guy i trust but he is busy and has me penciled in some time this spring summer. I was looking for anything maybe i could do and save him for other work, i really can't attempt alone. I also think since its such a side opening i can add 2 removable angle irons to support the trap door when closed and moveable when or if needed to gain access? Again thank you for your thoughts and yes i am aware of the difficulty in suggesting something you haven't seen.

No wonder medical is so expensive in the US....

The purpose for this video was for the crawl space door only. We try to keep the videos short for easier viewing. This condenser was only six months old, clean and in good shape. (But stay tuned because we will soon be recording a video on cleaning and maintaining air conditioners!) Also, in a perfect world, the grass should be trimmed, but it had been raining the days leading up to this recording.

Also it is more than just the crawl space door to have "a big impact on your home’s energy efficiency"

Thank you for watching the video! To your points: 1. There is no weather seal needed for the fabricated door. The door is inset 3-4 inches beyond the exterior plane of the siding, and in the manner that it’s installed, there’s no concern for bulk water getting behind the door. 2. About the humidity in the crawl space, we should have mentioned in this video that this crawl space is encapsulated and conditioned. We have another video about encapsulating this crawl space where you can find more information on why this type of door system is appropriate. You can find it here, ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE--teTRWJcNyQ.html, and the information you’re looking for is in the first 3 1/2 minutes of the video. 3. There is no need to insulate the backside of the metal door. It is neither the thermal barrier nor air barrier. The thermal barrier is the 2-inch polyiso foam, and the air barrier is the CDX plywood, sealed with vinyl weather seal. The metal door is simply in place to protect against UV and extreme weather.