Basement Insulation

Posted under environment by David W. Lambert

Mention home insulation and most people think of rolls of batt insulation being laid down in an attic or installed between the wood studs of a wood stud wall. That is natural since those areas are the easiest to reach and they allow us to take the biggest swings at our energy savings in the most cost-effective way.

Hold on a minute though! There is another area of a home that is often neglected, when it comes to insulation that is. The area we are talking about is the basement of our homes, which is literally the perimeter of the entire foundation - and that is a lot of area.

Consider a typical well-insulated residence that is constructed according to today’s standards and building codes. Even in these well insulated homes, up to 25 percent of the homes heat loss is by an uninsulated basement foundation. The reason for this is that a typical uninsulated 8 inch poured concrete foundation wall has an R-value of 1.4. Given it’s large mass, a concrete foundation with this low level of insulating value makes it a notable candidate for supplementary insulation.

Enclosing the concrete foundation within the residence’s thermal envelope by adding insulation will greatly decrease a home’s heat loss, and will also add beneficial moisture-proofing, which is another important factor to consider.

Exterior Basement Wall Insulation - Examining The Pros And Cons

If is very simple to install basement insulation of the foundation walls of a home during the home’s initial construction. If you suspect that there could be a high water table or potential surface water infiltration, it is best to install a membrane waterproofing to the concrete basement walls prior to installing the rigid insulation.

Usually the insulation of choice is closed-cell polystyrene insulation that will not degrade when exposed to moisture. By utilizing basement insulation, the homeowner and home builder can effectively minimize or eliminate moisture condensation coming through the exterior walls, protecting interior walls, ceiling sand floor finishes in finished basement spaces.

There are some obstacles in using basement insulation too. It can be very pricey for an existing residence, and often requires a perimeter drainage system and waterproofing membrane be placed, further driving up costs.

Many exterior basement insulation materials are susceptible to insect damage, and may be against local building codes in some areas. If you happen to have some of these issues, you should consider the placement of your basement insulation to the interior side of the basement walls.

Interior Basement Foundation Wall Insulation - Considering The Pros and Cons

Adding insulation to the interior surface of basement walls in an existing home is often a much less costly alternative. Additionally by installing insulation on the interior of your residence’s basement walls, the insulation will protected from insect damage.

Interior basement insulation usually comes in the form of rigid foam board which is installed between the concrete basement wall and the interior drywall.

Putting basement insulation on the interior of the foundation wall will not protect the walls from moisture infiltration like exterior insulation will, so if you have moisture problems in your basement, some sort of exterior waterproofing treatment will be necessary to moisture-proof the wall.

Basement Insulation - How Much Insulation Is The Right Amount?

You need to consider the feasibility of insulated your basement walls, the payback calculations analyzing the installation costs versus the energy savings and the area in which you reside in the country. The amount of recommend insulation requirements is identified in the table that is published by the International natural resources Conversation building code.

Looking to upgrade the insulation in your new or existing home? Be sure to read more about Basement Insulation in this very informative article. For additional energy saving tips and techniques on saving our natural resources be sure to go to our website Green Living Made Easy.