The safety of our homes is an important factor. As such, we need to make sure that our homes are sufficiently insulated in all the necessary areas. An important area that is frequently overlooked is the basement. When insulating cellar walls, most people treat them as if they are normal wall. This is actually wrong as their composition is quite different from the other walls. Thus, a person has to ensure that they use proper basement insulation methods when insulating basements.

When it comes to understanding the composition of your cellar, particularly its wall, you will have to understand that as most cellar walls are constructed from concrete, they tend to present insulation problems due to high moisture levels and cooler temperatures.

From its outward appearance, it is hard for most people to tell that concrete is actually saturated with water. As such, they insulate the cellar walls with wood frames just as they would normal walls. Unfortunately, this later causes the walls to start growing mold leading to health risks for the household.

One of the best techniques of basement wall insulation is using spray foam. Spray foam is an ideal insulating material for damp or moist areas such as the cellar. Spray foam works through locking out water vapor within the concrete walls and in doing so, protects your finished cellar rooms.

The main benefits that one gets from using spray foam include added structural stability of the cellar, as well as the spray foam acting as an excellent vapor barrier. Moreover, spray foam easily covers pipes and wires as well as other utilities. Though its cost is relatively high, its quality and usefulness justifies the product.

If the cost of spray foam exceeds your budget, you may wish to make use of foam boards. They are widely regarded as the cheaper and easier alternative to spray foam. Unfortunately, they are different types of foam boards in the market and they have varying R values. You need to ensure that the foam board you select has the same R value you need.

When using foam boards as a method of basement insulation, it is important to remember that different types of walls need to be insulated with foam boards of different thickness. During the sealing process, take time as this is the most important part. If you rush through it, you may end up with poorly insulated walls and you may have to redo the entire process from scratch. Remember to use house tape or similar products when sealing the joints.

Lately, the use of hybrid systems made from fiberglass and Insulated Concrete Forms have become one the more popular basement insulation methods. This may be because it is cheaper than most alternatives. Sadly, this method will only be effective in cellars that do not have water leaks. When installing this system, you first have to cover the walls by using foam boards. Then, you will make a wall form either steel or wood and place it in front of the foam board. The final stage will require you to fit the fiberglass into the stud cavities. Remember to make sure that the final R value is a s required.

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