Unfinished basement walls lower the energy efficiency of your home, leading to cold drafts and reduced relaxation for your family. Missing or insufficient insulation also contributes to higher utility bills because of wasted energy, and may result in longer maintenance and more frequent replacement of your heating equipment. And, a well-insulated basement is a selling point when it is time to put your home on the market. Save money and protect the environment from the effects of air pollution by installing insulation in your basement to save energy.
Insulate Wood-framed Walls
Measure the thickness of your exposed timber framing with a tape measure. Select your insulation dependent on the available space and your budget.
Put on your safety glasses and gloves before handling the insulation.
Cut fiberglass batts to fit between the exposed wooden studs. Size the batts to fit snugly between the framing members so that friction will probably be sufficient to hold them in position.
Place the batts to the wall cavity, adding several layers as required to achieve the desired R-value.
End the walls with drywall or leave unfinished, as wanted.
Insulate Masonry Walls
Cover the entire wall using a vapor barrier, such as 6 millimeter polyethylene. Secure the borders of each sheet into the wall with construction adhesive, and sew every row by 6-inches. Tape the seams of the vapor barrier utilizing heavy clear tape.
Measure over 16 inches from 1 corner of every masonry wall. Mark this spot with a marker or chalk, then continue to create marks every 16 inches along the length of the wall.
Place 1 by two inch furring strips at the marks you left on the wall. Use masonry or concrete screws to fasten each furring strip into the wall.
Cut rigid foam sheets to fit between the furring strips using your utility knife. Size the sheets so that they fit snugly between each strip.
Insert the sheets of rigid foam between the strips. If friction is not sufficient to hold the sheets in place, add a little construction adhesive to the back of every sheet. Add another layer of foam to maximize R-value.
Cover the wall using 1/2-inch drywall. Twist the drywall to the furring strips with drywall screws and complete as desired.