Basement Insulation

Understanding Foam Board Insulation

One of the best things about purchasing a new home with an unfinished basement is you then have the ability to finish it to you distinctive and individual style as well as your personal needs.  However it can seem a little intimidating to begin with when you look at the bare concrete walls and cement floors so the first thing on the agenda is to begin insulating and covering up those cold, harsh, bare concrete walls and the most cost effective and complete way to cover as well as insulate them is with foam board insulation products.

Foam board insulation can be found at a wide variety of hardware and home improvement stores where they generally come in 8 and 12 foot lengths and are found in 4 foot widths making them very applicable for basement heights.  They are rated in three different types.  One type is known as Polyisocyanurate which is generally used in commercial building and has an R rating of 7 to 8 per inch of thickness. 

It is covered in a reflective foil surface and is generally the most expensive of the foam board insulation.  Another type is the blue board or pink board known as extruded polystyrene foam that has an R rating of 4 to 5 per inch of thickness.  Extruded polystyrene foam is used mainly in residential home construction.  And the third type of foam board insulation is the expanded polystyrene foam which by far the cheapest but it only has an R rating of between 3 to 4 per inch of thickness.

Remember that insulation is your best defense against conductive heat loss, but it can also be your best protection against moisture and possible mold problems.  Best of all if you ever decide to sell your home it will increase the value of your home because of it's protection.

Easy to install, but don't forget that caulk will be your best friend to insure a tight, snug fit between your studs so that it is sealed against moisture as well as insects.   Just as important is to remember that foam board insulation is not fire retardant and so you will need to cover it with sheet rock or some other type of paneling.

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