Basement Joist Insulation

Foam boards can be used to insulate any part of the home from the roof to the basement walls.

Basement joist insulation. The diy project of sealing the rim joist is one of the best things that can be done to make the home more energy efficient. Cut the strips to size. It is important to also seal and insulate the top of the concrete wall where the sill plate sits. In older homes where the spacing of the floor joists varies you may need to cut the insulation to width as well.

If the basement floor is dirt we can apply a 6 mil layer of plastic to the floor and interior walls before installing the thermax insulation rigid foam sheets. It s the simplest and least expensive basement area to insulate and will bring the highest return on your investment. Impervious insulation is always an excellent idea for basement walls but it s absolutely essential where the floor joists of the level above meets outside walls along the edges of a basement ceiling. Most homes have fibre based insulation stuffed into this place partially covered by a feeble and pointless layer of polyethylene vapour barrier.

When the basement or crawl space has vents installed insulating joist bays prevents cold drafts from penetrating into the home s interior. If both floors of the house are heated use unfaced insulation. If you re ready to insulate the rim joists in your basement or crawlspace you have to decide between rigid foam and spray foam. Install the insulation with the vapor barrier facing up toward the heated living area of the house.

First you ll have to maneuver batts of insulation around the clutter of wires pipes and cross bracing in a typical. Hold the batts in place by stapling their paper faced vapor retarders to the lower edges of the joists. Pros and cons foam boards are rigid panels of insulation with the most common types of materials used in making them including polystyrene polyisocyanurate and polyurethane according to the u s. Once the ceiling is buttoned up insulate the rim joist the floor framing.

Cut rigid foam insulation into strips with a table saw or a circular saw. Using rigid foam keeps the material costs low but it also requires more labor than using spray foam. Insulate basement rim joists insulate the joists.