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Basement Insulation
Basement Insulation – Walls
I’ve started insulating the basement walls in our new basement storage room. I’m attaching 1-1/2″ extruded polystyrene foam insulation board by DOW. I used a special Styrofoam adhesive to adhere the foam board to the concrete (you can also use “Great Stuff” foam in a can). The foam board I am using comes with a tongue and grove so installation is pretty easy. Just cut the boards to length, apply some adhesive and press it against the wall.
You’ll notice that I installed the boards horizontally. Since doing this project we’ve been installing them vertically at work and it’s much easier to do! Placing them vertically makes it much easier to keep them from falling down while the adhesive cures.
Seal Insulation Joints
After I installed all of the polystyrene foam insulation I sealed all of the joints with Tyvek tape. Tyvek tape is a really strong tape that will stay adhered to the foam board and it keeps out moisture. Concrete holds a tremendous amount of moisture so creating a moisture barrier is essential.
Frame Basement Walls
Once all the insulation was in place I started framing up 2×4 walls. I’m going to place the walls directly in front of the foam insulation and then insulate the wall cavities with fiberglass insulation. You’ll need to nail the pressure treated plate of the wall to the concrete with a Trigger Tool Kit, 22 Caliber. By doing the combination of insulation materials I can achieve approximately a R values of 16.
After I finish framing and insulating the walls I will i
nstall luan paneling over the framing. I plan to install 2′ deep shelves all around the room for our storage.
Check out my previous post, Finished Basement Step 1 – Insulation where I explain the methods of insulating in detail. Also check out How To Insulate Basement Walls. There is also some really great information at the Building Science Corporation.
Insulated Concrete Floors
For this project we’re not insulating the concrete floors because we have radiant heated slabs. However, if your home doesn’t have radiant heat and you’re looking for information on that topic then we recommend you read How To Insulate A Concrete Floor.
Long story short – I live in a split-level and the downstairs is half-way under ground on the front side and above ground in the back. Due to a previous flood, I have found that I now have black mold under my sheetrock – even though “clean up” was performed. I began by removing 5′ of sheetrock from the ground up. I now have new problems. The walls are concrete block construction. No sealant – furring strips nailed to block (flat side against block) – and sheetrock nailed to furring strips. The strips are 1 X 2’s. NO INSULATION. Also, there is a furring strip laid flat against the floor (concrete) around the perimeter of the room. I am a single Mom and ripping everything out and beginning over again is out of the question. Outside of start over, what is the best way for me to insulate this area? By the way, the furring strips are not 16″ on center. I keep researching various sites – but just have no idea what to do. Well, other than lighting a match ; > I appreciate any suggestions you may have.
@ Tami – Unfortunately I really don’t think there is any other option. First off you need to get all the contaminated materials out of there as soon as possible. You should be very cautious removing it yourself as mold spores can easily get airborne and cause a serious health issue. There are lots of online government resources about proper mold removal. Once the mold is removed the best option is insulating the walls with some sort of foam board or spray foam.
Thank you Todd for your quick response. Yes, I have researched the mold removal and am in that process now. Once I have everything out (sheetrock and mold), would it be sufficient to glue the blue board between the furring strips and then sheetrock on top of that?
@ Tami – I would glue the foam board directly over the furring strips, marking the location of the furring strips, then securing the sheetrock over all that.
Thank you, Todd. Your website is priceless – and so are you!