Stop a Third of the Energy Loss from Your Home
It’s amazing how many people don’t insulate their basement walls. I think they mistakenly believe that the soil outside does the insulating for them. But this unfortunately just isn’t true. Soil is not a good insulator and heat loss from your basement can account for over one third of the total heat loss from your home.
If your basement is insulated properly it will not only reduce heat loss, but it will make your basement much more comfortable as it will be warmer and drier.
There are two main ways to insulate your basement.
- By exterior insulation, or
- by insulating the interior
Before installing any kind of basement insulation, you need to fix any cracks, leaks or other moisture problems. Moisture can seriously damage your finished basement and the problem is that it is far more difficult and expensive to fix any concerns after a basement is finished. Sometimes small cracks can be fixed from the inside and the concrete walls can be moisture proofed from the inside. A basement waterproofing system is the best way to try to do this and make sure you do not have moisture problems from any source; but this is not always the best solution. Cracks on the inside are an indication of possible cracks on the outside so if you fix the inside that still means water can get into the foundation and create problems. For a permanent solution you should dig up around the exterior of the house and fix the cracks there and then re-moisture proof the exterior of the foundation. This sounds like a lot of work and it is but it needs to happen to repair things properly.
Exterior Basement Insulation
If you have to dig up around the foundation for repairs then this is a perfect time to insulate the exterior of the basement walls. This excavation work needs to happen before you can install the exterior basement insulation. After the repairs are made, cover the entire surface of the wall with a layer of waterproofing material before adding rigid insulation. A protective cover must then be installed over the insulation to make sure moisture does not get between the insulation and the basement wall. Often a metal flashing also needs to be installed at the top of the insulation to run moisture to the outside of all this extra material.
Before it is all back-filled your exterior drainage system around the perimeter of the house should be checked to make sure it is in proper working order. If there is no drainage system (Tile) around the house it is imperative that one is installed in order to keep the basement dry.
Interior Basement Insulation
Insulating the interior of your basement walls is a lot easier and less expensive but should only be done after you insure you have no problems with your basement walls. For interior basement insulation, you can use any of the main types of home interior insulation, including fiberglass bats, rigid foam board or spray foam.
Having a wall structure of metal or wood studs will help support the insulation and give you a place to attach drywall or paneling.
First you should install a moisture barrier over the bare foundation walls before adding the stud frame and insulation. This moisture barrier could be tar paper or a modern product like Tyvek. Then you can put your frame wall in place. If you are using fiberglass bats you can install R12 or R13 bats in a 2×4 wall or R20 in a 2×6 wall. If you are using any kind of foam insulation it must be covered with drywall in order to meet code and for your safety as it off-gases toxic fumes in a fire.
After the wall is insulated a vapor barrier needs to be installed over the insulation and stud framing before adding drywall and/or paneling. These, moisture and vapor barriers will help reduce condensation, and make your basement drier and more comfortable.
Now your ready to drywall and finish off your basement and add a lot of extra usable space to your home and save yourself money in energy costs and the same time.
