Why you shouldn’t skip the basement when insulating your home

Looking for the right contractor, finding the best insulation material, making your everyday plans around renovation works. These three may seem like minor inconveniences compared to the huge benefits that you can then reap out of insulation, but, for many people, they are bothersome enough to make them more rushed and superficial. It is quite common for homeowners to become impatient and try to finish the project as soon as possible and get back to their usual life, but this isn’t always a good idea. For example, one of the biggest mistakes is to think that wall and attic insulation is enough. If you also have a basement, you should include that in the project as well, even though it will extend the duration by a few days. According to the specialists at gni.ca, having an uninsulated basement could affect the structural integrity of your house, not to mention cause a few pesky health and comfort issues. So, if were planning on insulating the house without including the basement, here are a few reasons why you should reconsider.

The basement should have a strong vapor barrier

Basements are generally seen as cold, damp places that you don’t enter unless you have to. However, this bad reputation is caused exactly by the lack of insulation. Low temperatures, combined with the dampness caused by leaks, make basements the perfect breeding ground for bacteria, but insulation can stop these. By adding a protective layer around the basement, you stop water vapors from penetrating concrete walls and you automatically reduce humidity. Keep in mind that water causes lasting damage to your walls. Concrete tends to hold water for years, so even a short summer rain can affect the building for months to come. Needless to say, when water settles into the basement walls, it weakens their structure, affecting the integrity of the entire house.

Adding functionality to the basement

Some houses are so big that the basement is just an extra room for old things. But, if you don’t have enough space, it can become a functional addition to the house. For example, you can redecorate it and turn it into a game room, home office, library or gym. It goes without saying that you won’t be able to enjoy the fruits of your labor if you can hardly breathe there because it smells like mold. So, start by insulating it and then invest in furniture and equipment. Contrary to popular belief, repainting simply won’t cut it. You’ll only be covering the damage, not fix it, so signs of damage and humidity issues will reappear within weeks.

Extra savings and extra clean air

The main benefit of insulation is that it reduces the need for heating appliances and saves money off bills. So, why not install it everywhere? Basements are very cold places, so if you insulated yours, you wouldn’t have to keep an electric radiator turned on all the time. Another important benefit is that insulation reduces humidity, and therefore the formation of mold, so the air becomes cleaner and more breathable. If you have small children, this is a great plus, because studies have shown that prolonged exposure to a moldy environment causes allergies and asthma.

Which type of insulation should you use in the basement?

If you started researching insulation materials a few years ago, you probably know about fiberglass. Indeed, this was considered the best choice for a long time, but now, things are different. Rigid foam insulation has become the top choice among experts, not only thanks to its superior R-value, but also to its durability and extra protection against leaks. This doesn’t make fiberglass the worst option possible. It’s still a good material, but, with the increasing interest in green living, experts are constantly coming up with better insulation solutions to reduce waste even more.

Before you begin…

To maximize the efficiency of basement insulation, you should take a few measures in advance. For example, if your basement is already affected by leaks and water has already infiltrated the walls, fix that problem first and only after start the insulation process. This way, you will have a clean, dry base. You won’t be able to fix the issues after you apply the materials, so ask your contractor to deal with them in the beginning.