# Home repair: crawl space vent **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 26, 2009, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/home-repair-crawl-space-vent/483131 "2009-01-26T22:03:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![NoCoolUserName](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5fc32e/32.png) [@NoCoolUserName](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NoCoolUserName)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2009, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/home-repair-crawl-space-vent/483131/1 "2009-01-26T22:03:37Z")
We have a crawl space under the house, and while under there doing some maintenance the other day I noticed (because of the cold air pouring in) that there’s a vent from the outside. Yikes, we must be spending a fortune–like today when it’s 8 degrees F–'cause there’s a cold-enough-to-ice-up spot on the floor right over where that vent is. Can I cover that puppy over? ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Moto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de0a6/32.png) [@Mr.Moto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Moto)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2009, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/home-repair-crawl-space-vent/483131/2 "2009-01-26T22:20:37Z")
You should be able to do so - my crawl space has vents with closable covers for this purpose. Open the vents up again in the spring to keep things nice and dry down there and cut down on home cooling costs. ---
**Author:** ![GaryM](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garym/32/241_2.png) [@GaryM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GaryM)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2009, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/home-repair-crawl-space-vent/483131/3 "2009-01-26T22:50:15Z")
Is there no insulation under the floor boards? There should be fiberglass, or a similar material, stuffed up between the joists. If that’s true the vents being open or closed should not make that big a difference.