There are many ways to insulate your basement. However, for the last thirty years or so, batt insulation has been the common choice. Unfortunately, it is the worst way to insulate basements. Why? Because it absorbs moisture and moisture promotes mold. Did you know wet insulation is a lousy insulator? Of course you did, so why do Home Builders continue to use fiberglass batt in basements? Because it’s cheap, readily available and it’s the way it’s always been done and Builders don’t like change.
So what insulation performs best in basements? Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) foam insulation with reflective vapour and air barrier films. Why? Because closed cell EPS foam insulation doesn’t absorb water; which means it won’t promote mold and will maintain its long term R-value performance. Plus, the reflective films stop moisture migration and air leakage and radiate heat energy back to where it came from i.e.: the inside of your basement. And unlike other foam insulation products, EPS doesn’t emit harmful ozone depleting gasses.
So what else do I need to know about insulating my basement? Avoid wood framing. Why? Because wood can absorb moisture and promote mold. There are far more environmental ways to do framing; like recycled steel? Reagrding wood framing, there are other issues to consider; like nail popping, twisting, warping and shrinkage.
Ok; it appears rigid foam and steel framing perform best in basements. What else do I need to know? Speed, ease of installation and high effective R-value. So where do I find a combination of products that can do all that? Actually, it’s not a bunch of individual products combined together; it’s an all in one basement insulation system. It’s called the Quik-Therm Basement Insulation System (CIS). Quik-Therm is economical, high performance, environmentally responsible and fast and easy to install. Per inch of thickness, no basement insulation method has a better effective R-value rating and nothing installs faster or easier. Anybody can install Quik-Therm CIS. To learn more, please click the link to quiktherm.com.
