SUPPLIES
- 2-by-4 lumber for new interior framed wall
- Insulation
- Plastic sheeting for two vapor barriers
- Heavy duty stapler
- Hammer
- Nails
- Sheetrock or interior wood paneling
Overview
One of the best ways to save money on the cost of heating your home is to install insulation. However, many homeowners fail to insulate their basements. Unlike insulating an entire home, especially an existing older home, you can insulate your basement yourself. The best way to do this is to frame a new interior wall next to your foundation wall and install fiberglass or rigid board insulation between the joists. Moisture barriers prevent dampness from seeping in from the ground outside the foundation wall and prevent moisture from inside the home from seeping through the interior wall.
Step 1
Install moisture barrier. This plastic sheeting is installed right next to the stone, concrete or masonry foundation wall. Its purpose is to keep moisture in the soil from seeping through the foundation into the insulation. Use a heavy-duty stapler to attach the moisture barrier to the foundation header board (the board attached to the top of the masonry foundation wall).
Step 2
Build a new frame wall next to the foundation wall. Build a standard framed wall using 2 by 4 lumber for the joists, spaced 16 inches apart "on center." ("On center" means the spacing of the joists is measured from the center of one joist to the center of the next.)
Step 3
Install fiberglass batting or rigid board insulation between the joists of the frame wall. Both of these types of insulation are made to fit between joists built to standard construction specs of 16 inches on center.
Step 4
Install an air and vapor moisture barrier over installed insulation. This second piece of plastic sheeting prevents moisture from getting inside the house from seeping through the walls into the insulation. Staple this moisture barrier to the 2 by 4 joists in the frame wall.
Step 5
Finish the walls with sheetrock or interior wood paneling. This protects the plastic vapor barrier from damage and is more esthetically pleasing than insulation covered with a plastic sheet.
TIPS AND WARNINGS
- TIP : Always wear long sleeves and a mask when working with fiberglass insulation.
- WARNING : Do not omit either of the moisture barriers. Without a moisture barrier, moisture vapor can seep into the insulation. When it becomes cold enough, the moisture vapor will turn into liquid water and soak the insulation, thereby making it useless.
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