Basement finishing / Discussions

...basement renovations we try to always point out that you should never put a vapor barrier on an interior basement wall unless you are trying to grow mushrooms inside the wall. Read here about why basements are moldy and how to prevent mold when finishing a basement. 

...basement is finished? Finishing a basement in a cold climate like Minnesota requires careful management of the "dew point" to prevent hidden mold (see here to better understand the dew point in homes.) Since you plan to keep the existing vapor barrier against the concrete, the biggest risk is moisture getting trapped b...

...basement interior walls is the biggest mistake ever made in home construction. Read more here -  Why are basements moldy, and how to fix a moldy basement Other alternatives to drywall for your renovation project.

...basement and wasn't sure if the tar paper even really did anything or its an old practice the contractor was used to doing? Basements are often moldy, and unfortunately even after basement renovations are completed because people usually rebuild them in the same way, which would meet Einstein’s definition of insanity –...

...basements go moldy in the first place because it is entirely likely that anyone you hire to redo any insulating and finishing will simply redo it in exactly the same way it was before, which will put you at risk of the same problem in the future. The unfortunate reality is that most building codes force builders into b...

...basement drain system and the contractor wants to install vents through the concrete floor at the wall junction to drain moisture condensate from basement walls through the floor to the drain tiles. He claims this prevents mold from forming behind finished walls.  Does this work or is it only a path for Radon and groun...

...finishing the walls in the basement to reduce humidity and coldness in my home.  Frankly, I am not sure whom to trust anymore, therefore, your guidance would be greatly appreciated. JR Tadinac You were wise to remove the moldy insulation and re-insulate, as well as taking steps to mitigate water infiltration into the b...

...basement. Moisture is building up in the insulation because the wall is trying to dry to the inside but it is being prevented from doing so by the poly vapor barrier. This page explains what a mistake a basement vapor barrier is -  Why are Basements Moldy? How to Fix & Prevent Mold in Homes A dehumidifier is a good...

...basements, and for a few more tips you could check out this page -  How to Insulate Basements Properly And to address your question specifically, in a perfect world yes, you would do it all and continuously. If you are simply not going to insulate your laundry room, you are still better to do the rest of it than not at...

I'm trying to insulate Rim joists /cripple walls in basements have read about three methods using EPS & batt with slightly different orders. Plan to insulate concrete walls with 2" of EPS, with 2x4 framing (filled with rockwool batt), and then drywall. Which one of these approaches should I use?  1) Sandwich multip...

...basements.  Basements and basement walls work differently in summer and winter than walls exposed to air .  Basement walls are always cold but touching earth on the other side that could be 99% humid . So the wall needs to dry to the interior right ?  How would smart vapor retarder work in winter   If wall gets wet fro...

...basement foundation walls are framed (wood), insulated, sealed with a plastic vapor barrier, but not drywalled.   I am led to believe that, during construction, the builder didn't immediately seal around the basement windows before he installed the insulation in the basement.  Subsequently it probably rained and moistu...