Did you know that if your basement is not already properly insulated, then you can be losing as much as thirty percent of your home's heat through the cement block, brick, or stone walls? It's true, according to the United States Department of Energy. But you can easily insulate your basement so that you can stop wasting your precious heating dollars. As you can see, insulating the walls is the most important part of the project.
So, what is necessary to insulate the wall, floor and ceiling of your basement? First off, before you even think about insulating, you'll need to inspect your basement for any sort of water leaks. Especially check all of the walls, as well as the floor, the most common areas for leaks. After you have sealed or otherwise remedied any leaking problems, then you can begin to work on making your house warmer.
The most common way to insulate the basement walls, if they are made of cement block, brick or stone, is to use studs. These studs, or two by fours, as they are known as, are nailed to the walls by using sturdy concrete nails. Rolled insulation, that has an R-value of about eleven, is then cut to fit snugly in between the studs. The insulation is then stapled securely to the wood, and this process is repeated around the entire room. Then, you should cover any seams and tears with pieces of duct tape.
If the rolled insulation is unfaced, you'll need to add a vapor barrier to the walls before you finish them. Vapor barrier, as its name implies, will block moisture from coming through. You can staple up sheets of clear, polyethylene sheeting for this purpose. Use additional pieces of duct tape to seal the seams. Finally, you shouldn't leave the insulation barefaced. Therefore, you'll need to cover the studs, the insulation, and the vapor barrier with sheets of Gypsum drywall, or with real wood paneling.
Safety Note: Before you begin to work with the rolled insulation, you will need to wear a long-sleeved shirt, long pants, an air mask, rubber gloves, and protective eyewear. The reason for this is because the insulation is made of fiberglass fibers. These tiny fibers of fiberglass can irritate your skin and nasal passages.
You can also cover the walls of your basement with sheets of inflexible insulation. This type of insulation is much easier to install, because all you do is simply glue it to the walls by using a suitable adhesive.
As for the ceiling of your basement, if it is open, you can cut and install rolled insulation between the floor joists there too. The insulation is then stapled securely to the wood. Repeat this process until you have covered the entire ceiling. Then, cover the ceiling with sheets of Gypsum drywall.
There is really no way to insulate the floor of a basement. Once you insulate the walls and the ceiling, the basement will be able to retain more heat, and, in turn, will become warmer. Therefore, the floor will become warmer too. The best way to help make the floors warmer is to cover them with a good-quality padding and a thick, plush carpet.
Once you finish insulating the walls and ceiling of your basement, you should check exterior doors and windows to make sure they are properly sealed from cold drafts, as well.
