The basement could be one of the most versatile places in your home that you can utilize for a variety of needs your family may have but a lot of old or unfinished basements in Winnipeg suffer from the usual moisture buildup problem that raises the humidity level in your home causing it to be a less suitable environment for your family.
If you’re suffering from this problem, a quality basement insulation service may just be the solution you’re looking for.
Basement Insulation Techniques
Before we cover our basement walls with any type of insulating material, we need to check for the sources of moisture first so we can seal them. We’re going to need to check all of your plumbing lines and gas lines to make sure that they are not leaking. Concrete or block walls in our basements tend to “sweat” which may also be the cause of your home’s moisture level to rise up.
Rigid Styrofoam Insulation
This is probably the simplest method of basement insulation. You will take 1 x 2 furring strips and attach them to your walls at 16” intervals. After strips are attached you will then place the Styrofoam sheets onto your furring strips. Foam boards will come in sheet form that ranges from ½” to 2” thick. They also come in 4’x8’ sheets and are easily cut to fit. After you install your Styrofoam you will need to take a good duct tape and tape up all the seams you have. You will also need to take a can of spray foam and fill up any holes you have around pipe cutouts and other places you have trimmed away. This method is the best method for a DIY person.
Spray Foam Insulation
Spray foam is a great option but it is more expensive than regular Styrofoam insulation. This insulation will give you an excellent R-value and also give you rigidity providing extra structure strength. Spray foam comes in two types, open and closed cell.
Depending on what you will using your basement for will determine which one to use. Closed cell will expand more than open cell. If you are planning to just cover the walls you will use the closed cell because you will not be concerned about being as uniform. If we are adding walls on your basement, then an open cell is the way to go because it will not expand as much and will be much easier to cover with sheetrock or other wall choices. Either type we use will provide excellent performance for years to come. You will also get a complete airtight seal with spray foam insulation.
Fiberglass Insulation
This is one of the most common techniques that has been used in past years. This insulation comes in rolls and batts. We will need to add interior walls in your basement to have a place to put the insulation batts. Fiberglass insulation will give you a high R-value but will not offer you the airtight seal that a spray foam will. It is a great insulator but it will not protect you against any type of moisture build up. Fiberglass is easily installed and will keep your basement insulated. After all, any insulation is better than none. But of course, there are better options and we can walk you through it in details when we come down to do an estimate.
Regardless of the method used to insulate your basement, you’re guaranteed to benefit from a warmer basement and lower energy costs during the winter.
From basement insulation to full basement renovations, we are just a call away!
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