insulating under basement floor-styrofoam insulation?
illinigirl
10 years ago
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ontariomom
10 years agoAnnie Deighnaugh
10 years agoRelated Discussions
Basement Insulation: What to do wen exterior is insulated?
Comments (5)Not that I know of. But my thought is that the external insulation is so minimal--BSC and Building America recommend a minimum of 2"XPS for high performance in a cold climate--that the wall might still be cool. Plus there's likely extensive thermal bridging at the top and wicking up of moisture through the walls (unless there is insulation under the wall or a thermal break). If it were my home, I'd add at least an inch of high-R foam on the interior as well. And don't forget the rim joist area, either with foam board well sealed, or easier and surer, spray foam. Spray-foaming the rim joist area is an essential step in creating a healthy energy-efficient basement. Here is a link that might be useful: High R Value Foundation Assemblies...See MoreBasement framed without insulating...demo or insulate around? Help!!!
Comments (2)We are climate zone 5 & 4 (green) - thanks for the link! We do plan to use the rigid foam, seal around it, and then use mineral wool bats between the studs and as extra insulation in the rim joists (which will also have sealed rigid foam). I think this will bring us up to code. I would prefer not to use the spray foam. Our daughter is more chemically sensitive than the rest of us and I am concerned she will react to 3 giant walls full of spray foam. Looks like we will be ripping out the studs! Ugh! Thank you so much for the advice!...See MoreInsulation under the basement concrete slab?
Comments (3)We have insulation under our basement slab, but it was put in place during the build (still in progress). We're building a full ICF house and the basement floor layers, from bottom to top, consist of pea gravel, 2" EPS foam sheets, plastic sheet, thin rebar grid and a 3" concrete slab. Sorry I can't supply the results or cost since it's all part of the build, but the builder said his other homes maintain low 70's F in the basement with this setup....See MoreBasement flooring insulation/barrier for cold/damp floor
Comments (1)If the carpet is soaked, then I would say a lot of the smell is from the carpet. I highly recommend you remove the carpet and then implement a 'wait and see' approach. If the carpet was 'soaked' I worry that the WALLS have been infected with mold. Anything that got wet will be suspect. That means drywall, studs, etc. Once you remove the carpet, you will be able to see/test for moisture around the edges of the wall. Damaged drywall is easy to figure out. It will be significantly weaker than unaffected areas. It it is damaged you should be able to push a pencil through it. If it is in tact the pencil won't do anything but make a mark. The structure BEHIND the drywall will be the problem child. The musty smell is the indicator that the infection is there. Where the infection has taken hold (carpet, drywall, studs, etc) is to be determined. You will need to have a REALLY good look at what became infected before installing new flooring. This project could be a bit more than you thought. I would talk with your bank to see how much financial backing you can access should this project fall into the 'worst case scenario'. I would also ask the company that is dealing with your moisture system what is the most common flooring they see when they install their product. They will be able to tell you 'easiest' type of flooring they deal with. They will also tell you the biggest PITA they deal with as well. But while you wait for decisions on carpet, etc, please check with your bank to ensure you have access to funds should this project to south....See Moreillinigirl
10 years agoillinigirl
10 years agoontariomom
10 years agoAnnie Deighnaugh
10 years agoEpiarch Designs
10 years agoworthy
10 years agoAnnie Deighnaugh
10 years ago
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