You might think finishing a basement would be difficult, but it can actually be easy if instructions are followed and a bit of patience is used. Finishing a basement with rigid foam insulation can make insulating your concrete walls quick and easy.
The Basics
Rigid foam insulation comes in handy sheets that you can slide into place. After measuring your wall, just divide that size by the size of the sheets and you have the correct number of panels you need.
Attaching the panels is surprisingly easy and can be installed once you’ve cleaned your walls. Because rigid foam insulation is waterproof, you don’t need to worry about layering a water-resistant layer on top of the concrete.
If you place two pieces of insulation against the wall, you will notice that there is a section thinner than the rest directly over the seam. This is actually a nice design feature of rigid foam insulation. That gap is designed to let you but a board in it, and it will lie flat with the foam. [1] Then you can just nail straight through the board and the foam straight into the concrete.
Cutting a sheet to the right size is easy. Rigid foam is soft enough that you can cut it with a sharp knife and even push in the tip of your measuring tape to mark it. When measuring, just press down on the metal hook at the end to leave an indentation, and then take your knife and chop off the excess
Cutting out a gap for outlets or other things that jut out of the concrete is remarkably simple. Just take the board, test fit it where it needs to go, and press. The shape of the outlet will be carved into the back of the sheet, and then the shape can be cut out with a sharp knife. It’s that simple. [1]
Choosing the Right Rigid Foam Insulation
There are several different types of rigid foam insulation to choose from, and each is best used in different situations.
The first type is Molded Expanded Polystyrene foam board, or MEPS. [2] You have probably seen this stuff before; that foam cooler you take to the park or beach is made of it. This material is cheap, but also lets vapor through, meaning that it is not good in wet environments. MEPS is the cheapest option, but also the least effective, as its R-value is 3-4.
Extruded Polystyrene, or XPS, is another type of rigid foam insulation. XPS is a great insulator, and the most commonly used rigid foam insulation. It has an R-value of 5, and is mostly impermeable to vapor, making it a great choice for basements. This is also one of the strongest of the rigid foams, so you can use it without fear of it breaking down. [2]
Polyisocyanurate, known simply as polyiso, is a newer form of rigid insulation that can be used to finish a basement. Unlike the others, it was designed to be as environmentally friendly as possible. Its manufacture uses blow agents that don’t damage the environment as much as that of MEPS or XPS. It also happens to be a better insulator than the other types, averaging an R-value of 6.5. Unfortunately, it absorbs water, so you can only use it above ground. But for the walls of your house, this can be a great material. Another pro of polyiso is that it doesn’t catch on fire nearly as easily as MEPS or XPS. Due to this, many building inspectors will let it remain exposed in crawlspaces or attics without a layer of drywall on top of it. [2]
Overall, rigid foam insulation can make renovating your basement, or any room for that matter, much easier. With some of the best R-values among insulators, rigid foam insulation also delivers superior thermal protection.
Sources:
1.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oNE1QQreOkA
2. http://www.greenbuildingadvisor.com/green-basics/rigid-foam-insulation
