Insulating Poured Concrete Basement Walls
Basements provide for a very challenging insulation problem.
Insulating poured concrete basement walls. 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. To ensure there s no dampness seeping through the walls conduct a simple test using plastic sheeting and duct tape. Advantages of poured concrete foundation. The last step is to pour concrete into the forms.
Basement walls made out of concrete stone concrete bloc and other masonry foundation materials have very minimal insulating properties and cause approximately 20 of heat loss in a home. Another area where cracks are commonly found is at the bottom of the basement walls. That is why insulating your basements walls is necessary especially when you live in areas that have very cold climate. I am about to put in the insulation and my contractor has recommended pink fibreglass batts between the studs leaving an air gap between the pink and the vapour barrier on the concrete.
Closed cell spray polyurethane foam or either xps eps or polyisocyanurate rigid foam. Tape a small piece of plastic sheeting to a bare concrete wall with an impermeable duct tape border and wait 48 hours. Any of the following insulation materials are acceptable for this purpose. Poured concrete foundations provide a high level of strength and durability and can last for decades.
Basements are a challenge because of high moisture levels and cooler temperatures. I ve written several articles on insulating basement walls and evolved some of my methods over time. I have framed my basement walls vapour barrier is installed against the poured concrete basement wall. The best way to insulate the interior side of a basement wall is with foam insulation that is adhered to or sprayed directly on the concrete.
Best methods for insulating basement walls. There is a 5 inch gap to the wooden studs.