Basement insulation / Discussions

...insulation is that it is resistant to moisture damage, but trapping moisture inside will allow condensation to form on the wood. You can learn more here about how that happens and how to avoid it –  How to build and renovate basements properly so they don’t develop mold When you see Rockwool on basement walls, any mois...

...insulation does a basement need?  As for carrying out the work, is there a history of flooding? It would be smart to install a sump pump to avoid basement water damage before you install a new floor.  And as for best technique, see this page here –  Preventing mold when you insulate your basement Once you’ve laid insul...

...basement wall then anything behind the vapour barrier will also stay wet. Learn more on this page –  Why basements are moldy and how to prevent mold when building and renovating basements. If you assume the basement wall is wet and build accordingly, you can avoid mold issues. See our best practices for basement constr...

...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...

...basement:  Preventing mold when you insulate your basement The difference between Polyiso, EPS & XPS rigid insulation boards I have a few questions that will help us pin down the best way forward for you - How old is the home? Is there an exterior membrane on the basement wall? And have you ever had any flooding ...

...insulation, that would affect its structural integrity as well as its efficiency. To understand a bit about what to look for, here is a page you should check out – Slab on Grade or Foundation and Basement; Which is Best? Reading that page will give you a better idea of what to look for in a slab. And the first question...

I watched your videos with much interest but wasn't sure about the "trench" type perimeter "grade beam" in terms of supporting the house structure, and the fact that I have bedrock (Lake Huron / limestone) 18" below the surface. Wouldn't a poured perimeter wall down to bedrock be a better approach - before pouring the ...

...Basements Moldy? Preventing moisture when you insulate your basement Building better basements: how to insulate your basement properly  Waterproofing an d heating solutions for basement floors New blowing agents for spray foam insulation don't cause climate change

...insulation. The most important thing to remember is that basement walls can’t dry to the outside the way above grade walls can, so you need to sure not to trap moisture inside the walls where the wood and insulation is. Meaning, the last thing you should do in a basement is put a 6-mil poly vapor barrier after the stud...

...basement if you do decide to do some more work on it. Why are Basements Moldy? How to Fix & Prevent Mold in Homes Preventing mold when you insulate your basement Marmoleum : A healthy and non-toxic green flooring product The Difference Between an HRV and an ERV    

...basements at home, I'm finding it a learning curve in building science!  The building is over 100 years old with a half below grade (fully cured!) concrete basement. No exterior insulation, I'm guessing no exterior sealing. But dry dry dry inside.  I like the idea of the 2" XPS with 4" studs and roxul insulation to g...

...Basements Moldy? How to Fix & Prevent Mold in Homes Preventing Mold when you Insulate your Basement Building Better Basements: How to Insulate your Basement Properly  

...basement is below the frost line, I’m not sure if insulation is necessary, but want to know what the experts think. If insulation is required, how much and what type is recommended? You absolutely need to install insulation under a slab, you would be utterly miserable if you didn’t, you would have frozen feet and an em...

...basement (walls and floor) surfaces are formed of poured concrete. One side of the basement has full-size regular casement windows, but the bottom of those windows is nearly at-grade. That wall is still full-height poured concrete. The rest of the basement is below-grade.   We aren't going to be drywalling our basement...

...insulation in the basement has been removed and replaced with spray foam insulation; the foundation around my house on the outside surface has been waterproofed  (4 cracks were found inside the basement walls) and the grading reversed. I’ve had many contractors come to my house and most of their suggestions have been i...

We're soon building a slab on grade foundation for our new cabin in Montana and I've decided to sit it on a 4" EPS foam insulation so the slab will retain some passive solar heat from the south facing windows in winter, avoiding having to put too much heat in to keep stuff from freezing. There's a bed of compacted grav...

...basement wall. Moisture issue in spring ( and I suspect fall). We get a lot of people asking about the best way to insulate a cinder block (CMU) foundation wall, I would say the first place to go is this discussion here which I think already answers all your questions -   How to insulate a cinder block foundation wall ...

...insulation. There is no wood as the wall frames are metal. No leaks from the outside coming in either.  I feel like the insulation is wrong and the insulation and the plastic barrier are creating the issue. What should be done to remedy this? Replace insulation with foam insulation and have no plastic barrier? Would it...