Insulating Basement Walls

Insulation of several parts of the house is extremely crucial in regions which experience extreme temperatures. Insulation of walls and windows keeps the heat or cold at bay and maintains the temperature of the house or any building, for that matter. All the same, we are surely concerned about insulating anything else except our house, right? In case you were ruminating about insulating basement walls, well this link will surely insulate you from that worry! Read on!

How to Insulate Basement Walls

To insulate the basement walls, let's first check what all will be required for the same. You will need -

1. ¾" Rigid Foam Insulation
2. 3½" Fiberglass Insulation
3. 2x4 Wall Studs
4. 2x4 Pressure Treated Wood
5. 3" Masonry Screws
6. Nails
7. Hammer
8. Drill

After this, now we move on to the actual part!

# 1
First come first, apply the foam insulation to the basement walls either vertically or horizontally. Polyurethane construction adhesive, stick them to the walls. This adhesive is recommended as it is resistant to moisture. The glue has to be applied in a zigzag manner - resembling letter S on the board which will then be slid into the requisite place. Doing this will result in spreading the glue properly and fix it properly.

# 2
Installation of a 2X4 pressure treated mud sill straight against the rigid foam insulation material at the floor is next. This piece of wood has to be anchored with the help of masonry screws in the concrete. Another 2X4 top plate will have to be fixed in the ceiling joists, once more against the rigid foam insulation.

# 3
Measure the length between the top of the mud still and the bottom of the plate for getting an idea of the length of studs needed. Here to make sure ceiling does not have a slope, measure in a couple of places. For the studs, mark the center line using a sharpie at every 16 inch at the center. Eventually nail the studs or screw them in place.

# 4
Now you have to fix 3 and a half inch thick fiberglass insulation, sandwiching between the wall studs. Prior to fixing it in the stud bay a good idea is to unroll the insulation and cut the appropriate length.

# 5
You can either leave it like that or perhaps to give a distinct touch, consider sheet rocking the walls. Sheet rocking the walls will help in finishing basement walls properly.

This was all about basement wall insulation. But this was just about foam insulation. There are other options too when it comes to insulating the walls. Presenting to you a description of the same.

Basement Wall Insulation Options

We talked about foam while describing about insulation of basement walls. Another option is foil. You can get rolls of bubble foil insulation from specialty stores. It is easy to install, you just need to roll the foil and attach it to the walls with the help of the correct glue. You can leave it like that or add drywall or concrete for finishing the insulation. The durability of this insulation is around 20 years. Fiberglass insulation too works well and can be quickly installed. This material, too, is available in rolls and has a foil vapor coating to help handling of it easier. It is important for protection of the insulating material from moisture. Nails, adhesives and glue can be used to fix it to the wall. This can last for a time span in the range of 30 to 50 years.

For insulating basement walls, closed cell foam topped with fiberglass or rigid foam board and a few other hybrid combinations too are used rather than a single material. Do not forget to wear some safety gear while working! All the best!