How should I insulate my basement?

Jack
by Jack

If i insulate my basement between the joists does it cause a vapor barrier ? Thanks

  5 answers
  • I've done some reading on this, Jack since we we thinking of doing it - cold floors. The problem is you can create a mold problem in your basement and you can have problems with pipes freezing. Here's one of the articles I read:

    https://www.energyauditingblog.com/should-i-insulate-my-basement-ceiling/


    A plumber told us the best thing to do is put in some vents along the ducts to help heat the floors above.

  • Kathy Gunter Law Kathy Gunter Law on Dec 03, 2018

    Everything I've seen says do not seal the underside of the floors just as Ann stated. We were considering adding plastic on the ground and up the walls at our farmhouse because that seems to be the best advice we have found. That is what we have in our home where the crawlspace is since 2000 with no issues.


    Then my husband met a guy who works for a company that sprays a barrier in homes that we are exploring. It is an Open Cell Spray foam. Here's the site if you are interested. We are going to at least get a quote.

    https://jetsprayfoam.com/

  • Lynn Sorrell Lynn Sorrell on Dec 03, 2018

    Yes it can. Just depends how you do it & type you use Here's info. https://www.familyhandyman.com/basement/insulate-basement-rim-joists/view-all/

  • Mary Rickert Huber Mary Rickert Huber on Dec 04, 2018

    2 years ago, I had my basement ceiling insulated and I still have cold floors. It was quite expensive. So far I have not seen or smelled a mold problem.

  • Joseph Glackin Joseph Glackin on Dec 04, 2018

    If you have an actual basement and insulate the joists to the house, you are putting the basement outside. Seal and insulate the walls instead. Then install a sump pump and dehumidifier to lower humidity and stop mold.

    Our house is 70 years old, at the bottom of a 300' ridge. Our sump pump runs 24/7, but we have no mold. We were told you can't have water blocked. You can have water managed.