Insulating Exposed Concrete Walls

Interior insulation refers to insulation applied to the interior side of the concrete masonry as shown in figure 1.

Insulating exposed concrete walls.

You have many options for wall surfaces. Basement walls made out of concrete stone concrete bloc and other masonry foundation materials have very minimal insulating properties and cause approximately 20 of heat loss in a home. Prepping for basement insulation. Tape a small piece of plastic sheeting to a bare concrete wall with an impermeable duct tape border and wait.

Rigid foam can be adhered to a poured. For example if you have a 7 foot wall you ll need 6 foot 10 1 2 inch long studs. The most important concern to address before insulating your basement is moisture. Any of the following insulation materials are acceptable for this purpose.

The owner likes the modernist look of exterior concrete walls so we are planning to use poured concrete walls on the other elevations as well. The insulation may be rigid board extruded or expanded polystyrene or polyisocyanurate closed cell spray polyurethane foam cellular glass fibrous batt or fibrous blown in insulation note however that fibrous insulation is susceptible to moisture. I am planning on dampproofing the exterior of the retaining sections of wall and framing the interior with 2x6 studding and insulation like a finished basement wall condition. Drywall is commonly used to cover the basement insulation but if aesthetics are not a concern you can also cover the insulation with plywood.

Concrete walls can be insulated on the interior or exterior face or by embedding the material within the wall. Whether you use batt and roll insulation loose fill insulation or sprayed foam insulation you do not want to leave the insulation exposed. To ensure there s no dampness seeping through the walls conduct a simple test using plastic sheeting and duct tape. After the adhesive cures add extension boxes to the outlets and switches and spray foam into every gap top bottom and around each box.

When insulating concrete basement walls a good idea because concrete basement walls are often cold use rigid foam board insulation if the insulation will come into direct contact with the. Closed cell spray polyurethane foam or either xps eps or polyisocyanurate rigid foam. Cut 2 by 4 lumber to the height of your concrete wall minus 1 1 2 inches for a header and footer. The best way to insulate the interior side of a basement wall is with foam insulation that is adhered to or sprayed directly on the concrete.

Now as you glue the panels to the exposed concrete blocks leave a inch gap at the floor and ceiling and cut holes in the panels to fit around outlets and wall switches.