Insulation is vital for concrete basement walls the basement hold the house s furnace water heaters laundry machines and essential utilities.
Insulation for cement basement walls.
Because they are naturally located below ground level basements are mostly cool and damp.
Avoid expanded foam insulation the type that has little white beads pressed together when insulating basement walls because it isn t as durable and has a lower r value.
Whether you use batt and roll insulation loose fill insulation or sprayed foam insulation you do not want to leave the insulation exposed.
However special care should be used when insulating concrete or block masonry basement walls.
After the cement is set apply a foam board adhesive to the rear of a polystyrene insulation panel then press the panel to the wall.
Insulating a basement properly is rather challenging in cold climates.
Basements are a challenge because of high moisture levels and cooler temperatures.
You have many options for wall surfaces.
When insulating concrete basement walls a good idea because concrete basement walls are often cold use rigid foam board insulation if the insulation will come into direct contact with the.
Adding 2 inch thick insofast panels will bring your walls to r 13 30 percent more than the iecc minimum.
Drywall is commonly used to cover the basement insulation but if aesthetics are not a concern you can also cover the insulation with plywood.
In this article i d like to discuss how to insulate basement walls in cold climates.
For reference my basement is currently finished with concrete exterior walls then charcoal colored wrap material there seems to be an inch or two between this wrap and the exterior walls then stud framing with r12 batt insulation between the studs then a vapor barrier and finally drywall on top of the vapor barrier.
I ve written several articles on insulating basement walls and evolved some of my methods over time.
Your walls in their present state have an r rating of about 3.
According to the international energy conservation code iecc for your area mass walls ones made of thick block brick stone or adobe should be at least r 10.
Force the cement into the sunken tie rod holes using a margin trowel.
How to insulate basement walls.
Extruded polystyrene foam can be yellow pink or blue depending on the manufacturer for insulating basement walls.
Step by step basement insulation installation.
Basements provide for a very challenging insulation problem.