Retrofit: Basement Foundation Wall Insulation Choices

Basement block foundation wall insulation

I have been auditing & retrofitting homes as an additional service to my remodeling company for 3 years now. My all-star insulator sadly passed away recently and I am just getting started with a new provider.

This new provider has specified Polypropylene Scrim Kraft to insulate unfinished basement block walls:
http://www.jm.com/insulation/building_insulation/products/bic447_ba...  

Thus far, I have used Thermax on my projects: 2" foil faced poly-iso taped at ALL seams. He indicated that the PSK (Polypropylene Scrim Kraft) is cheaper, also satisfies the code for fire, and has a white finish which looks better. The JM product is formaldehyde free.

The 2 products have very close thermal values and I suspect will perform similarly when taped at seams and installed continuously.

My concern is moisture and durability. We know that moisture moves through block walls. This home does not have active bulk water infiltration issues, but I am still hesitant to use a fiberglass product against a masonry wall.

 

What do you use? How do you install it?

I look forward to your input.

Thanks in advance.

Views: 863

Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

I am going to be upfront and say this is one application of our insulating coating that I have not performed myself.

 

Our distributor in Texas has painted / coated basements and foundation walls for many years.  All of his referrals are by word of mouth and he has never bothered to gather data, statements or pictures, at least none that he can find on his computer.  If you go to our site, at the top is his name and Cell number, Joe Merrell.

 

Give Joe a call and he can tell you all about the jobs, results, cost, etc.  He has had excellent results spraying the block walls, A/C and heatibg ducts and under the floors of houses.

 

Oh yeah, we are rated at 4.93 US Perms and are a Class A Type 1 Fire Retardant

 

http://www.ct-texas.com

 

 

I have no experience with Polypropylene Scrim Kraft.  However, we all know that Thermax does a great job and that wet fiberglass is a huge problem.  I can't see how fiberglass on a basement wall would be anything other than a huge headache.  I surely wouldn't switch without a multiple house third party study that showed Polypropylene Scrim Kraft effective.

I am really suspicious when I read on their site that Polypropylene Scrim Kraft Non-Perforated (according to site, resists water vapor transmission) is recommended for most basement walls.  We have known for years that nothing should be put on basement walls (that are below grade) that resists water vapor transmission.  Below grade walls can only dry to the inside. Any vapor barrier would trap moisture inside the walls leading to possible mold and rot problems.

Until our local building code converted to 2009 IEEC this stuff was used by a number of builders in this area.  I bought a house with it draped on the basement walls.  Removed draped insulation package and installed 2" foam to concrete, sealed seams and framed and rocked interior so we could use basement.  The draped material did not fully cover wall, had gaps, tape seams were open,  and in no way did a reasonable job of insulating the basement walls.  It was just the cheapest way to meet the code - again proving a house built to code is the worst possible house you can buy!

Applied to concrete basement walls with rollers and brushes.  Cerama-Tech's perm rating is 4.93 US Perms.  Never had a moistrue problem reported and has solved many mold problems.

 

http://www.ct-texas.com

I would like to offer my two cents and say it is always preferable to insulate on the outside so the foundation stays warm instead of the inside where the foundation is cold and runs the risk of condensation if air by-passes the interior insulation.  It is often difficult to insulate on the inside unless the basement is tottaly clear of items.

RSS

Home Energy Pros

Home Energy Pros was founded by the developers of Home Energy Saver Pro (sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy, under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act) and brought to you in partnership with Home Energy magazine.

Latest Activity

Jack Sadyak commented on Jack Sadyak's blog post Why Getting a Quantum Heat Pump is a Better Choice?
"Hello Tom, Don't worry I will let you know everything you can contact me at Heat Pumps…"
4 minutes ago
southernelevations posted a blog post

Raising Homes with House Raising Contractors

Home Raising, being essential for low lying areas, it is a fun detail. Providing geographical…See More
1 hour ago
Dennis Heidner commented on Macie Melendez's blog post Passive Proponent—Q&A with Brandon Weiss
"Don't forget Build America program from…"
3 hours ago
John Wes joined James Sayers's group
Thumbnail

Marketing Energy Efficiency

Sharing ideas, tools and examples of promoting energy efficiency to consumersSee More
3 hours ago
John Wes joined Tom White's group
Thumbnail

Weatherization

Share your concerns and successes as a weatherization professional, or information for this…See More
3 hours ago
John Wes joined James Sayers's group
Thumbnail

Social Media and Energy Efficiency

Tell us how you reach customers, contractors and others using online social media.See More
3 hours ago
John Wes joined allen p tanner's group
Thumbnail

Energy Auditing Equipment for Sale, Trade or to Purchase

Discuss the pros and cons of the equipment you are interested in prior to purchase. Post equipment…See More
3 hours ago
Greg Whitchurch commented on Macie Melendez's blog post Passive Proponent—Q&A with Brandon Weiss
"Timothy,      For a start, you could…"
7 hours ago
Greg Traster posted a blog post

The Benefits Of Using Energy Star Shingles

In the harsh economic climate, saving money is of interest to everyone. Here is one method that you…See More
13 hours ago
Profile IconBryan Pringle, apexair, Emilian Karchev and 1 more joined Home Energy Pros
16 hours ago
Mark Richardson commented on Mark Richardson's group Renewable Energy
"Thanks Everblue, I am proud to say that I have also recently achieved the NABCEP Certified PV…"
16 hours ago
peter chang replied to peter chang's discussion Electrical system data loggers
"Thanks, this is proving very fruitful. I have a lot to learn but this will get me started in the…"
yesterday

© 2013   Created by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service