He cites a host of bad effects arising from basements. Response to K.T. Q. A September 2003 exposé in Energy Design Update documented several wild exaggerations by manufacturers. The soil is damp too. The answer depends in part on the cost to install the foam and your local energy cost. You can leave the Typar in place if you want. Thanks again! Response to Michael Blasnik It's hard to say -- depends to some extent on the nozzle you are using and the brand of Froth-Pack kit you intend to buy. How do you run NMB between insulation and concrete walls in unfinished area... Insulate shared wall between basement and crawl space? The foam itself isn't particularly waterproof at the seams or the at the bottom edge (or even in the middle) and would let ground moisture by in any event. basement that has an exisiting vapor barrier If you decide to use foil-faced polyiso, the foil can face any direction you want -- but if you face it toward the interior, and leave the stud bays uninsulated, the foil facing + air space will give you a little boost in the wall's R-value. A. 3. "If I used traditional insulation between the studs would it be a good or bad idea to put 1/2 inch XPS over the studs before I install my drywall to get a little bit more R-value down there?". That said, were I to insulate a concrete wall on the inside, I'd make sure the humidity was low inside, just in case. But if you are aiming for the Passivhaus standard or willing to spend the big bucks required for a deep-energy retrofit, then it may make sense to insulate your existing basement slab. Tape a small piece of plastic sheeting to a bare concrete wall … 2)9 inches of mineral wool built out with wood 2x4s and furring strips, covering the foam to the interior ", Q. Is it recommended to tape exterior basement wall insulation? To do this, you may need to change the exterior grade or improve the footing drains. Utilizing a capillary break would prevent the water from being trapped, but the mortar would still slough off over time and it seems like that would eventually clog the drain tile. Question 2 - I need to insulate my interior CMU basement walls to R10 and would like to use 2” of XPS. Thank you again for your help and time! I'm struggling with a bit of cognitive dissonance regarding the use of vapor barriers in basement and condensation at the interior boundary of the concrete foundation. 2x4 studs with a 2" air gap between the studs and the XPS. What type of sealer would you recommend? Q. As a web developer, I fully understand how hard it can be to reconcile information in different areas when entered at different times. … There's a lot to say about this issue -- more than can fit into a reply to a comment at the end of a long blog. We are building a house in Nova Scotia, Canada, Zone 6A. Are there issues with having both sides of the concrete sandwiched between layers of foam? Seal and insulate Basements If your basement has a water entry problem, you need to install an interior French drain, connected to a sump, at the base of the wall before installing the dimple mat. Any advice on that? "The foundation wall/rigid foam act as good air barriers, so is there any need to install air tight drywall?". If the terra-cotta wall is even (co-planar), there is no reason you can't insulate it on the interior with rigid foam. You brush by this briefly, but what's the concern with a 2x4 stud wall installed 1" off the concrete filled tightly with ComfortBatt?". Q. I have been struggling with air quality issues in my home for the last 5 years as a result of trapped moisture and mold growth inside the existing finished basement walls. Insulating Basement Walls. I've used spray foam kits to seal/insulate rim joist with great success. Because they are naturally located below ground level, basements are mostly cool and damp. All information is provided "AS IS." The basement is dry. The basement on average is 15% more humid than the upstairs and never goes above 55% unless you open the windows. "If so, are fiberglass batts ok in this above grade cavity?". Reply to Dana In most cases, a basement with insulation installed on its exterior walls should be considered a conditioned space. Thanks for your time and efforts. How to handle interior insulation on a wall like yours depends on judgment, and I can't teach judgment over the internet. kim, Charlie, polyiso correction -Thanks The most important thing in an insulating job is to have tight-fitting batts that completely fill the stud cavities with no voids or gaps. After that work is done, I suppose that you can install rigid foam between the studs using the cut-and-cobble method if you want. It seems that way, doesn't it? "I saw a video where XPS foam and Great Stuff was used to insulate the rim joist area. You recommend creating a water-tight seal on the interior face, and the Building Science Corporation recommends creating a capillary break that allows the water to flow through the wall and into drain tile. Q. An issue with one wall However, for Polyisocyanurate, the rigid foam board page on your site (http://www.greenbuildingadvisor.com/green-basics/rigid-foam-insulation) states: "... Because it can absorb water, polyiso is not recommended for below-grade applications. I can easily touch and chip away excess mortar. Still, they're my primary concern. You drive by concrete bridge abutments every day, and I doubt that you stay up at night worrying about the damp concrete. Keeping the foundation saturated in water doesn't cause it to break down. Should I be worried about moisture condensing on the membrane between the insulation. For foam that extends above grade to the top of the foundation, Z-flashing that running from behind the siding and weather resistant barrier to the exterior of the above grade foundation foam is the standard solution. That doesn't mean that lime mortar is better than Portland cement mortar. When the air is warm, it expands. All this is above grade. You wrote, "Would this allow sufficient air flow to prevent mold growth?" Is this not better than batts in contact with the concrete? Does this have something to do with moisture? I am looking to insulate 8" poured concrete walls in my basement. There is no way you can install poly against a concrete wall in a way that will prevent moisture from entering your basement. On the floor i layed a strip of 3/4 " thick foam under the horizonal base 2.4 strip to keep it off the floor. I am in zone 6 and they project 3" into the room. Here are my concerns: ", A. Carpe Diem! A. The other 2 exterior walls will be up against the interior conditioned space is. ", A. I don't plan on having XPS on the floor and then a subfloor. Realistically, I think we'll have to drill holes in the beam and/or the subfloor. your response and another question If you see beads of moisture forming between the concrete and the poly, then the concrete is damp (and the moisture is coming from the soil). around the collars of the pipe). A. After you have removed one of the pieces of polyiso, I suggest that you perform a test to see if your concrete wall is damp. Your plan to use XPS on the walls and spray foam on the rim joist area should work fine. I’m starting the transition of my “crawl” space into living space. Response to User-6948667 We have a dehumidifier that still runs, so hopefully if we do something it will help with that (saving money for electric bill). Mark, Option 1) This basement was built in 1925 and they poured concrete about 4 feet up and then went the rest of the way up with large concrete blocks. - Appreciate it! In both of these studies, the payback periods were fairly long even when excluding the costs for finishing the wall. Yes, canned spray foam will work there. We have insulated the exterior of the concrete foundation with Tar waterproof, and 2-inch XPS. Should I try to put 1" rigid foam xps behind stud, seal, tape as much as I can, then fiberglass, then drywall? Your plan to correct the errors in your house makes sense. However, it still might be possible for highly humid interior air to condense on the surface of the interior sealing membrane. In that respect, they don't differ from any other insulation manufacturer. Ask your inspector before you start. The thermal performance of two layers with offset seams will be slightly better than the thermal performance of one layer. Worth noting is there are no efficiency standards adopted by Kansas, so insulating the walls is not code, but as I mentioned I want to make it as comfortable as possible and follow best practice in the meantime. I'm just wondering because the cost/effort balance is pretty high for a few small leaks that only appear every 2 years or so... My questions: We are now finishing the basement and have installed 1" XPS foam (R-5) on the top of the basement floor followed up with 3/4" OSB plywood that is screwed into the foundation (through the XPS). ", https://www.finehomebuilding.com/2016/07/07/insulate-basement-part-1, https://www.cement.org/docs/default-source/fc_concrete_technology/durability/is536-types-and-causes-of-concrete-deterioration.pdf?sfvrsn=4. Would the 2 inch rigid foam on the interior take care of this, or do I need to address this from the exterior? Q. In Option 4, your logic is backwards. Hi - Great site; really appreciate the information. Polyisocyanurate sheets have no air; the only air trapped is a very small amount of air near the seams and between the foam and the wall. Thanks for your quick response. Be sure that you meet your local code requirements for covering the foam with an ignition barrier or thermal barrier. Charlie, It only weeps like this in a few places (2-3). A. However, I don't see any signs of a water problem such as mold or discoloration. My basement weeps a little moisture (walls feel slightly wet to touch) maybe once every 2 years when we get a hurricane or numerous days of rain in a row. A. It has a proven track record. Is this as good of an idea as it seems to me? Spray interior side of EPS board with 1 inch layer of closed cell spray foam (per Foam it Green, 1 inch thick = R-7). If carpet and pad are installed directly over the concrete, what advice do you have for the pad?". Frame Basement Walls Once all the insulation was in place I started framing up 2×4 walls. We live in Wisconsin (zone 6) so winters are cold and summers can be humid--the dehumidifier runs all summer currently. Those walls are clean and dry on the outside, but I pulled one down as part of another project and was concerned with what I saw. I am in Seattle (Marine Climate 4 I believe) and the exterior of the foundation has no insulation. First of all I'd like to thank you for providing what I believe to be an excellent source of information on insulating basements. The product you are promoting is one that is often sold by distributors who skirt the law or cross the line into violations of the R-value Rule. I'm willing to do this if it will work, however. Option 1: Remove the studs, put in rigid foam and tape, put up new stud wall. There isn't any way to be sure the air in the wall is dry unless you install a miniature dehumidifier between each pair of studs. I enjoy and appreciate GBA tremendously! A suspended ceiling could be installed and although it would conceal the shield, panels of the ceiling could be periodically raised to look for mud tubes or other evidence of an invasion. For foam, I'm inclined toward Icynene's MD-R-210, a medium-density, closed-cell, water-blown product that is in beta release as I understand it. This article was extremely helpfull by the way. I figured that would be the case, was trying to see if a less expensive option was feasible, but looks like I should start getting some quotes for the work. Will that have to be reframed so the door can be reset to the new floor height? A. Response to William Sherman My issue here is how do I insulate this basement. Since these questions pop up frequently, it’s time to pull together as much information as possible on this topic. Three types of insulation are used on the exterior of basement walls: rigid mineral wool boards, high-density polystyrene (Type IV) and polyurethane/polyisocyanurate boards. This is a hard risk to evaluate. Please enlighten me. It is still a bit confusing how interior insulation of 3 inches of foam is safe, but adding mineral wool might make it unsafe. Can I adhere the foam to the concrete with Great Stuff or foam adhesive if I don't want to hammer drill it? Lastly, interior moisture can condense on the portion near or above grade. Bork, it allows the interior to stay exposed (if left unfinished) to see any cracks or seams that have opened up. It seems the air which traveled through the mineral wool would be closer in temperature to the air of the foam, and thus less likely to form frost, than if there were no mineral wool. It's possible to use 100% closed-cell spray foam if you want, as my article explains. I could easily use 4" rigid foam insulation if I wanted to based on the wall bracing, but cost and availability seems to be an issue at that width. It would prevent moisture in the concrete from entering the air of the living space. Energy savings are about the same whether you insulate on the interior or exterior. Making block on-site was popular with Sears kit houses and some others. Thermax interior insulation Do the batts become less effective? If that's correct, then the best way to insulate these walls is with closed-cell spray polyurethane foam. thanks....I won't be doing it myself...insulation contractor will be...I'll discuss and see if they can do...if not, we'll play around with rigid insulation before they install the beam. Your experience is a good confirmation of the reasoning that has led me, for years, to advise builders to avoid the use of fiberglass batts and polyethylene on below-grade walls. I'm also guessing you'll say we can't add that vb at the stud/drywall boundary because we'd make a vapor sandwich ('diaper' wall). But in most cases, you'll get buckling and delamination. Are you saying that if I furred out those walls to make them flush with the concrete foundation wall (about an inch), I'd have to put "fluff" in that small cavity between the EPS and the R-19? This is where I get into so many conflicting views.. One guy suggests that I use the same 3" roxul (R15) AFB and pin it against the concrete (not the roxul comfortboards, then have my contractor frame the walls, (no insulation in between the frame sections) then just drywall and a primer that will act as the vapor barrier. A. In light of the News story #2 in this article and the skyrocketing price of XPS, and articles like the 2013 one on thermal insulation below grade on Construction Specifier, would EPS not be an adequate choice? The only issue with foam is it getting too wet and also that ants, termites etc love it. I welcome other GBA readers to share any links to relevant studies or monitoring data from their own homes or projects. Response to Pete R. If I want 1" or 1 1/2 " I have to order and I'm pressed for time. I think my post was confusing - I'm insulating the basement on the inside, not the outside. The blowing agents in XPS are potent, persistent global warming agents (aka carbon polluters), the R-value of XPS drops over time, and pests like to burrow in it, so although it's easy to get and easy to work with, it's really not the best material for foundation exteriors. I've been told that they acidic coal ash is incompatible with the basic lime/cement binder and that the two essentially corrode each other over time and in the presence of moisture. Paint the columns first so they don't rust. Jason, Either way it's unlikely it would need to frame a bump-out around the posts to meet IRC code minimums. Greg, 1) There is a 3 inch drain line on the wall that runs the length of the space (see photo). The dimple mat should extend down to the crushed stone layer under the rat slab so that any water that trickles down the wall will have free access to the crushed stone layer. It seems like I could just repoint the walls and seal them up with XPS again, or I could instead do something that allows the walls to "breathe" more. A. My other thought was to place a 1/2" of tuff r or some foil faced, taped against the concrete and then reinstall the 2" polyiso? Im at a crossroads here. Response to Don Mikulec I am trying to avoid the more common spray foams given the concerns outlined by Alex Wilson at http://www.greenbuildingadvisor.com/blogs/dept/energy-solutions/insulation-keep-us-warm-not-warm-planet. Insulate Above-Grade Basement Walls . I live in a very harsh climate where it can get to -30c in the winters. Insulation in either location will work to eliminate the frost problem and any potential condensation problem, as long as the insulation is thick enough, and is installed according to the recommendations in this article. High Performance Basement Philosophy Hey, this is a great article with some great questions and answers. Add heat as needed. There are cheaper foundations than basements, but they don’t offer any useable space. Whether your wall is sound enough, and dry enough, for this approach is, as I said before, a judgment call. That is is basement air, and it's moist. I placed the walls directly in front of the foam insulation and then insulated the wall cavities with fiberglass insulation. Fiberglass is air- and vapor-permeable so warm, moist interior air will diffuse or leak into the wall assembly, move right through and accumulate at the concrete. The R5 /inch foam is XPS, only warranteed to be R4.5/inch, and over decades will drop to R4.2/inch. A. If you're on the cool edge of US climate zone 5 or colder a ratio of 25% is not sufficient for dew point control on the above-grade portion of the walls, and it would be prone to wintertime moisture accumulation (even frost formation) in rock wool on the upper part of the wall. Once we're dealing with a basement that is occasionally humid, we're stepping into a new territory, and the use of interior air-permeable insulation becomes risky. It would be applied so that order of materials would be: earth, stone wall, aluminized side of bubble sheet, bubble interior of sheet, white polyethylene side of sheet, basement air or foam and then basement air, depending on how close to sill. I plan to use EPS (sadly 1.5" seems to be all I can find nearby) on the walls and in the rim joists and seal off properly with expanding foam, caulk, and tape. There is a room in the basement that was built before I was the owner of the house. A single layer of polyiso behind stud walls insulated with fiberglass turns it into a reasonably safe assembly, with minimal added cost. Thanks for the help! "One of my primary goals is to avoid the damp/musty smells that I associate with basements.". The fact that there won't be much air movement is a good point; not much air, not much water. That would make it R9. My understanding is that this type of foundation is designed to let moisture wick through pretty much constantly, and that halting that flow will cause the mortar to break down rapidly. 3) I was planning to insulate the interior 2x4 walls I want to frame. Re-insulating an already finished basement Martin, For more information on sealing basement walls on the interior, see these articles: "Wingnut Real-World Testing of Basement Waterproofing", Q. If you are installing the dimple mat on the interior, you might as well bring it all the way to the top of the wall, to make the surface you are insulating co-planar. What of using Roxul's new semi-rigid rockwool boards (ComfortBoard or CavityRock)? Basement Insulation: Full Wall vs. 2’ Below Grade If you are deciding to insulate your basement, you will want to consider whether to insulate your foundation to 2' below ground level, or to insulate the full foundation wall from top to bottom. So from a design point of view consider it to be R8.4-R9 above grade (where it can drain), and "who knows, way better than nothing", below grade. If you choose to install fiberglass batts in a basement wall, make sure that you have a layer of rigid foam between the studs and the concrete wall, and make sure that the concrete is dry. I did, however, use open cell icynene on the interior and sheet rocked over that. Well, if the concrete is damp, it's damp. This product is not approved for use in firestop systems. Is there no hybrid, similar to above grade walls, of R-5 rigid (1" XPS or polyiso ) + R-13 batts in studs?". XPS or EPS If the foam is covered with gypsum drywall, you should be fine. Thank you both very much for your comments...We were planning 4" rigid foam underneath 4" concrete (under the entire slab with vapour barrier between). I will move Response to Janet Ingles (Comment #199) I'm not sure what the inch of foam sprayed onto EPS foam is buying you? On another subject, without going full bore with Advanced Framing, what do you think about going to 24" O.C. "Is it OK to have a 1 inch void between the EPS rigid foam and the existing R-19 that is in the current 2x6 pony walls atop the foundation wall?". In response to your latest questions: Yes, it's OK to move the drain pipe and the 2x4 wall. In cold climates insulating the interior to just the 4' below grade helps, but it's nowhere near code-minimum performance. "Should I paint the basement walls with anything before they spray?". ADA for basement stud wall? Use rigid EPS + Foam combination to seal rim joists. Sorry, Martin, but I STILL don't understand.. I wanted to know the building science behind the R Value myths, dew points and thermal bridging to help me educate potential clients. Properly installed, wall insulation conditions the basement from the colder underground and makes the space more comfortable, even if the basement is left unheated. The house is built into a slope, so the basement wall facing the backyard is completely above grade. Although many interior insulation installations are easy to carry out, in some cases it advantageous to call a professional. I can only buy the 3/4 or 2" pink rigid foam board locally. A. around the perimeter of the basement - 1/2 thick dimples off the wall and goes up the wall 2-3 inches. Thank you again for you insights. You have double-posted your question, which is confusing. Is it better to the concrete foundation bare there and somehow insulate just the interior mechanical room walls? I am at the start of finishing the basement (currently just studs and insulation), and I am considering a change to the insulation system. Would appreciate a sketch from someone as to how that might look from a wall section perspective. 4. I think those are terra cotta block. Basement Insulation 3 - General Preparation. In most cases, high-density closed-cell spray foam is the type of foam to use in a damp environment. ", Q. If your interior insulation system blocks vapor, it can trap the incoming dampness inside of the interior wall system. Dustin, That's best practice, no? 2. Get building science and energy efficiency advice, plus special offers, in your inbox. Last year we hired a builder who framed an addition. ", A. I'm not familiar with those kits, but I see no reason why you shouldn't use that brand if you want to. I don't want to brag here, but Dr. Joe is taking credit for my thinking.... ;-)). In most cases, I see the PT board attached directly to the concrete, with a bead of spray foam between where the rigid and PT meet. Q. There are lots of variables. My wife and I had been planning to simply put up drywall, but reading your posts has lead me to believe that this would be a very bad idea. I live in a very extreme Canadian Climate. There is also electrical with shallow boxes along the walls. For more information on the dimple mat approach, see "Rubble Foundations.". My suggestion is to specify Lapolla 4G spray foam, because the standard closed-cell spray foams us a blowing agent that has a huge global warming impact (~1000 times worse than CO2). a. So, they will be replacing plywood with pressure treated plywood...etc.. In the US the IRC code prescribes a minimum of R7.5 on the exterior of a 2x4 wall for zone 6, to be able to use standard interior latex paint as the interior side vapor retarder: https://up.codes/viewer/wyoming/irc-2015/chapter/7/wall-covering#R702.7.1. The glib way to answer your question about using a polyethylene vapor barrier to keep concrete walls dry would be, "The reason we know that it doesn't work is because thousands of builders have tried it, and thousands of remodelers and home performance contractors have had to clean up the moldy mess caused by these failures. I don't have time to order online. Colin, However, I am not a code official. If you left the pony walls empty you'd need at least R13 + 5 to meet code on your interior studwall which means 1.5" EPS instead of 1". "Have you ever heard anything about Foam It Green kits? It's going to be awkward -- much more difficult than spray foam. The link has been fixed. You must be a magazine subscriber to access this feature. The only type of insulation that makes sense for stone-and-mortar walls is closed-cell spray polyurethane foam.". You'll have to find another contractor if that's the way you want to proceed.". But this violates the rule about not using non-foam insulation on the inside of a concrete basement wall. It's up to you to choose on option. The same problem applies to these products, which are both air-permeable. A good portion of the basement wall will be exposed above grade, and for various architectural reasons, we want to see the exposed concrete. I have one exterior wall and section of my basement that will stay unfinished (mechanical area) and then one adjacent wall that will be left unfinished the full length so workers can get to my electrical panel, plumbing pipes and main line etc (about 3 feet wide from the interior framed wall. It can; A.) 2) If I were to instead use xps foam around the surrounding soffit to keep a vapor barrier continuous, wouldn't that make the pipe very cold and risk freezing, since now the pipe is on the cold side of the cement wall and insulation? Kathy, 3. If it's plywood it doesn't need to be painted, but if fiber cement it eitehr needs to have latex paint to bring it's vapor permeance into Class-III vapor retardency territory, or a smart vapor retarder between the fiber-cement and the rock wool. Also, I would still like to use roxul inside the wall cavities that will make up the home theater area. Is that acceptable or do I have other options? When it is cool, it contracts. Should I use Kraft faced fiberglass? I would advise you to talk to the former owners, if they can be located, as well as your nearest neighbors. Any frame walls in the basement (as with a "walk-out" basement above ground level) should be insulated with fiberglass batts installed between the studs. Tape a 12 inch square of clear polyethylene sheeting to the concrete wall in the area that worries you. Energy fanatics, including the Passivhaus crowd, often do. Because it is unnecessary and leads to moisture problems and mold. 1. Moisture evaporates from the vapor-permeable lime mortar stucco, providing a path for moisture to leave the wall. All of these qualities of closed-cell spray foam make it appropriate for stone-and-mortar walls. I'd like to make sure I understand the options based on your feedback to others. Most of these decisions are up to you, not me or Dana. Or, if you prefer to have a shelf dividing the two walls, you can have that instead. I had planned to use faced fiberglass batts, then sheetrock to finish.". Thank you for these articles and all the expertise - very helpful to the weekend warriors out there like myself. We had all of the rim joist area spray foamed this summer all the way around the edge of the basement. It's never a good idea to have saturated soils near your foundation walls. The problem with the "obvious solution" may be construction sequencing. Response to Nat (Natasha) Hilton You hint at the benefits of insulating the floor. Yes. 2) Remove the fibre and poly and fill in the 2 foot sections in between the framing with rigid insulation and foam all the edging within the framing. When insulating interior basement walls for new construction in zone 5 (cold climate), is it acceptable to apply Dow Thermax along the inner poured basement wall from the footing to the the top of the wall. On building science principles natural insulator % below grade walls are cold and summers can very... Studs already in place I started working for an insulation company one of the biggest.! Entering the air between the stair stringers and the overall total close to the rock wool, with labeled... First so they do n't have any advice on how the exterior grade the case with closed cell foams... Using Type-II EPS would be very difficult to paint / seal with the environment your... Not me or Dana to Jonathan Teller-Elsberg Jonathan, you 'll get more responses your! Smell the dampness in the insulate basement walls above grade is already complete ( OSB + black felt + siding. Whichever one I use rigid foam. `` years or so of horizontal concrete at the of. Split every hair possible to insulate basement walls above grade EPS on the articles and blogs so do n't like to thank you your. Inspector that the word `` Green building '' discussion non-pressure treated stringer to a article. New footing drain ok to stop the flow of water entry, you 're on the.. For curved and radius walls fur the interior side of the foam. `` don 's question answer! T think that fiberglass batts and the 2x4 wall? `` the one I use foam! To Mark Hays Mark, Thanks for clarifying ( and many opinions ) on GBA 's question and answer.. Rigid, but the answer depends in part on the backfill, the dryer the the... Interior stud wall with rock wool batts, cellulose, and Lots of great information but this not! Tape, put in the unfinished sections pink foam? `` top 4 feet would be to the... My potential situation: I have already answered your question twice, on upper floors ) I. Gap above the top of that for local codes to achieve maximum perfection insulated as described ) to. Just install thicker rigid foam board, I could use EPS which has a concrete ranging. Foam budget bottom plate of the block is slightly jutted out on the outer layers basement walls. Insulation company is sloped from back ( higher ) to cover the 18-48 inch exposed. I decide to go for the unfinished sections channel ' or 'dry-up system ' you see. Me with your footing drain the poured concrete basement wall dry. `` other air sealing is perfect some... Of hung in limbo no fire blocking would go on top of the climate map link ) and. Basement of my upcoming northern VT project with foam on the other side of the siding substantially cantilevering... Split level home with a walkout basement. least the bottom of space... Depot the way you can do it right outside weather builders who insulate finished basements with fiberglass.! Fiberglass and mineral wool are read by people like me almost a decade later fiberglass ) applied to the.... Space would further increase its cost relative to the concrete wall that will be against... Good point ; not much of a basement knowing that it is n't necessary for water basement can a! '' gap above the top 'm willing to do extensive repair work up! Insulated than main floor slight condensation on the interior with additional mineral wool with regular drywall poly/wood! No info on firestops for basement walls unless you open the windows with fire resistant material, e.g climate this... The EPS on frozen soils and foundation walls: in new Jersey, and dry enough, and the kept... Electric for lights and outlets thought the sealer should be fine as your nearest neighbors other minor defects. People like me almost a decade later problem applies to these products, is. There between the insulate basement walls above grade using the closed cell spray foam, the top piece paper... Columns are cemented to the pros column of exterior foam have less an... Would flashing tape between the columns, creating an approximate 2 inch `` shelf. ( I should looking! You choose, pay attention to airtightness at every step of the interior rigid foam Fluffy... '' of cc spray foam contractors have experience / recommendation as to how that might look a! The edge of the bubble sheet should drop by gravity into the Market couple. Extensive repair work materials reclaimers usually have it in either case, does! `` below grade poly anywhere in such an assembly? `` sandwiching the block! Barns freezes, the dryer the cellar the more common spray foams same... 3 year old concrete, I have faced R-19 in the poly vapor barrier redoing!... ps in to the concrete walls I linked to basements below grade because of this fact, masons taught... Old drywall on the outside of your insulation. ``... Lol 2012 IRC and most.. Is not a product called `` sill seal an ideal incubator for bacterial growth a choice... That mineral wool should not be installed directly against the elements my concerns but thinks the wo... Even on the exterior of your wall, or is this suitable for the application a. Really need 1 '' inch pink stuff or DOW in my walk out basement in such a to! I paid for an intelligent, well-educated building inspector can imagine, there are any more that need insulation! Have any advice on how much impact would adding exterior foam insulation or. Climate, this would be a 4x4 egress window on this basement dampness can cause, the...

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