Insulating Poured Concrete Basement Walls

The most important concern to address before insulating your basement is moisture.

Insulating poured concrete basement walls.

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. Tape a small piece of plastic sheeting to a bare concrete wall with an impermeable duct tape border and wait 48 hours. 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. Best methods for insulating basement walls.

There is a 5 inch gap to the wooden studs. The last step is to pour concrete into the forms. 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. Poured concrete walls are 8 10 inches thick and available with surface patterns like brick which provides a finished appearance.

I ve written several articles on insulating basement walls and evolved some of my methods over time. To ensure there s no dampness seeping through the walls conduct a simple test using plastic sheeting and duct tape. 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. Poured concrete foundations provide a high level of strength and durability and can last for decades.

Any of the following insulation materials are acceptable for this purpose. Basements are a challenge because of high moisture levels and cooler temperatures. Closed cell spray polyurethane foam or either xps eps or polyisocyanurate rigid foam. That is why insulating your basements walls is necessary especially when you live in areas that have very cold climate.

Basements provide for a very challenging insulation problem. I have framed my basement walls vapour barrier is installed against the poured concrete basement wall.