Basement InsulationA well-insulated basement in many cases help save a homeowner money on heating and cooling costs while also providing for a dry and pleasant living environment. Many newer homes have outer wall insulation; this kind of basement can be considered to be a space with a heating or cooling system (in this case insulation) that aids in maintaining the temperature inside the space. Because basement walls are directly linked to other living areas in a homes, more than the outdoors, it is more advantageous to insulates them than insulating ceiling of the basement. While adding insulation to outer basement walls is costly therefore not workable, insulating inner basement walls does have several benefits. Besides being far more inexpensive than installing exterior insulation to basement wall, the kind of insulation that can be used is virtually unlimited and it does a good job of keeping out mold and insects. Before installing interior wall basement insulation, it's important to consider the fire resistance of the insulation type chosen. With regard to fire-resistance not all insulation types are equal. Because insulation in general works better the thicker it is, there will be a trade off between how much square footage is lost and how high the insulation's r-value is. Basement insulation particularly needs to be paired with a moisture control strategy. This is because basements are particularly susceptible to moisture issues due to being below grade where water naturally drains into the soil.
Though any kind of insulation can be used to insulate a basement the pros and cons of each kind of insulation should be carefully considered before installation. Because most basement walls are made of concrete blocks, and concrete absorbs and releases water through seasonal temperature changes. When considering a basement insulation installation this phenomenon must be taken into consideration. For example, installing a framed wall with insulation between it and a vapor barrier (simply a material that does not absorb water vapor), give the water vapor condensing from the concrete no where to go but into the insulation. When fiberglass insulation for example, gets wet it looses all of it's insulating properties. What's more, damp insulation is a breeding ground for mold, which can spread to drywall, studs and even floor joists. That said, spray foam insulation can be a good solution for this problem. This is because spray foam insulation itself acts as a vapor barrier that does not admit mold growth. One downside with spray foam insulation however is that it can be expensive. Another more cost effective option, sort of a middle ground between the cheapest option of fiberglass batts and spray foam insulation, is installing closed cell insulation foam board. Foam board is made of the same material as spray foam insulation but comes in already made, extruded sheets. One downside of these boards is that they do not adhere to the surface the way spray foam can. This can be mitigated by choosing the right adhesive to allow the board to adhere to concrete wall. The wall can then be framed and finished with sheet rock. |
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