23 December, 2024

How to insulate basement walls

A basement is a massive storehouse of our many types of necessary things. But the maximum storage products became damaged after a limited time frame.

The only reason for this problem is the humidity or the moisture in our basement. If your basement’s HVAC system is not well enough, it will be responsible for the 90% damage products. 

To avoid the thermal mess & to get a tremendous comfortable basement space, basement wall insulation plays an important role.

Without the proper insulating process, the basement temperature will rub the 30% of your energy or comfort level. In this content, we will give the details instruction of basement wall insulation processes.

How to insulate basement walls

To save the storage things & to secure your health condition from the moisture, you should follow these guidelines one by one carefully.

Safety Equipment.

Allow these major components to ensure your safety level. If you want to apply this DIY method of basement insulation, you should arrange all equipment near hand. Apply these when you are participating in the project step by step. 

  • Disposable Coverall Suit
  • Mask for Fiberglass Installation
  • Respirator
  • Hood & Goggles
  • Foot Covering
  • Box Cutter 
  • Drywall Saw 
  • Caulk Gun
  • Board Adhesive
  • XPS

Make sure the basement is dry

Before we start the insulation for basement wall protection, make it dry. Iof the basement wall is not properly dry, no insulation tricks will work out properly. If there are any water entry problems, all the investment will fail.

Diagonalizable the entry points first then fix them. If it is too big to complete this step, you can achieve a proper risk-free basement finishing. Until you can solve this problem, continue the finishing task. 

Source of Moisture Comes From

Make sure that the additional features of your basement are available to protect moisture levels. We feel more humid in our basement after the rainstorm or the snowfalls.

Here you may have a question that, what is the reason? The basic reason is the water drop, which can enter the wall of the basement. 

This is the reason for the ground floor. The weather humidity is more than the other location, like the other place of our house or rooms, the basement ground stays cooler and condenser with water liquid percentage. You can notice them in humid weather. 

Sealing Basement

First, find out the holes or leakage of the basement walls or floorings. It can be created by the sides of the water line or gas line or electricity connection.

From those holes, the air can get into the basement to make it more relaxed. Make sure the rain gutters are clean to remove the debris easily.

If they stack in a place, it can damage the basement quality. Check the concrete block under the drain line.

Water pressure is in control or not. So the best way will be, stay away from the drainage line from the basement area. It will help to keep the basement wall strong for a long day. 

Best Insulation Works

We know that heat is the source of energy. It can move the coldness of your basement area. We compare the lower form of heat with the R-value.

To manage the basement wall, we should follow the R – 10 for the uninsulated concrete wall. This heating amount can reduce at any time.

To improve the basement wall quality by adding the insulation method is comparatively cost-effective than any other method. You can add this method inside of the basement wall or the outside of the wall. 

But it should be done by a professional expert. That is why it has the possibility of being expensive.

If you study the previous history of basement wall insulation methods, a right combination of fiberglass batts or blankets is poorly used to handle the basement wall moisture. 

Hybrid Insulation – Foam & Fiberglass

At last, you can apply this hybrid method. According to my experiment, this Foam & Fiberglass are less expensive.

But you can get better service of basement insulation by using these products. If the basement wall has a visual history of water vapor, then you should not apply this method.

This is just a layer of foam board with sealing above. You can make a frame by the wood or the steel materials. 

Install the fiberglass for stud cavities. It should be installed by the proper install code of your locality energy code of the building.

Maximum survey results prove that you should not use any insulation method, which will be a barrier for water vapor. That should be a certainty of a grey area. 

Spray Foam Insulation

According to my real-life experience, spray foam is the best possible material for basement insulation. It will help the wall from water vapor to migrate the damp from your basement wall.

This instruction for applying the foam spray will ensure the maximum benefits of basement wall insulation.

The additional stability structure, water vapor barrier, pipes cover, wires & utility exception R values. It’s a messy & cost-effective task to handle this foam spray.

If you don’t have any problem with these facts, you can continue with this basement insulation product. 

Foam Board

If you compare the foam spray insulation with the other product, then the foam Board will be the next.

This effective method is often used because, as a DIY folk, you can easily handle this. Cheaper rate & you can use this as an alternative method of foam spray.

There are so many types of foam board as an alternative to foam spray. Kingspan Insulation R-10, Insulfoam R-7.7, Perma “R”, Dow R-10, Rmax R-3.2, Rmax R-5, Dow R-3, and many more. 

To make sure the correct foam board, you need to confirm the thickness & to seal it correctly. Which will be the barrier of water vapor.

According to your local energy code of the building, you can use 2 to 4″ thickness, according to my recommendation. You can use the wrap tape or Great Stuff for the bottom of the foam board. 

Wall Finishing

You need to attach the plastic bag or the other materials sheet to hold the drywall at the finishing step. Here you have another option to tape the bottom edge of the sheet flooring.

You can install a frame before you cover the wall with a plastic sheet or others. It will help to establish the insulation of your basement wall correctly.

Apply R- 10 or others, then plastic sheeting, studs for covering, and finally cover your basement wall with the help of drywall.

After completing the entire process, like sealing & insulating the wall, you can feel the difference between the past & present room temperature or the comforts of your basement.

If this process seems too complicated for you, consider hiring a Basement Finishing Contractor to assist you with the job, saving you time and stress worrying about getting the project completed.

Final Verdict

As an ideal home or basement improvement company, we feel happy to talk about all the necessary steps of basement wall insulation.

As a partner of smart residential, industrial, or commercial home appliance service providers, we have a lot of experience in these fields. Without any hesitation, you can contact us for further more information. 

A mother and lover of all things practical. My blogs will help you learn about everything from creating a designer kitchen to making the most of a spare bedroom, choosing the best double glazing to the best indoor gardening tips.