Insulating Exposed Concrete Walls

Interior insulation refers to insulation applied to the interior side of the concrete masonry as shown in figure 1.

Insulating exposed concrete walls.

I am planning on dampproofing the exterior of the retaining sections of wall and framing the interior with 2x6 studding and insulation like a finished basement wall condition. Cut 2 by 4 lumber to the height of your concrete wall minus 1 1 2 inches for a header and footer. Rigid foam can be adhered to a poured. Because it isolates the concrete s thermal mass from the inside space however it is the least desirable from the standpoint of.

That is why insulating your basements walls is necessary especially when you live in areas that have very cold climate. Concrete walls can be insulated on the interior or exterior face or by embedding the material within the wall. Drywall is commonly used to cover the basement insulation but if aesthetics are not a concern you can also cover the insulation with plywood. Now as you glue the panels to the exposed concrete blocks leave a inch gap at the floor and ceiling and cut holes in the panels to fit around outlets and wall switches.

For example if you have a 7 foot wall you ll need 6 foot 10 1 2 inch long studs. The insulation may be rigid board extruded or expanded polystyrene or polyisocyanurate closed cell spray polyurethane foam cellular glass fibrous batt or fibrous blown in insulation note however that fibrous insulation is susceptible to moisture. The most important concern to address before insulating your basement is moisture. Whether you use batt and roll insulation loose fill insulation or sprayed foam insulation you do not want to leave the insulation exposed.

You have many options for wall surfaces. The owner likes the modernist look of exterior concrete walls so we are planning to use poured concrete walls on the other elevations as well. To ensure there s no dampness seeping through the walls conduct a simple test using plastic sheeting and duct tape. Prepping for basement insulation.

Closed cell spray polyurethane foam or either xps eps or polyisocyanurate rigid foam. Basement walls made out of concrete stone concrete bloc and other masonry foundation materials have very minimal insulating properties and cause approximately 20 of heat loss in a home. After the adhesive cures add extension boxes to the outlets and switches and spray foam into every gap top bottom and around each box. Tape a small piece of plastic sheeting to a bare concrete wall with an impermeable duct tape border and wait.

The best way to insulate the interior side of a basement wall is with foam insulation that is adhered to or sprayed directly on the concrete.