Insulating the Basement Walls

I have a 100 year old house in the midwest. The original clay block foundation is still in pretty good shape with only 2 of the basement walls bowing in just over an inch. My problem is that my basement…

by Your QuestionsLeave a Comment

Facebook Tweet Pin LinkedIn Email

I have a 100 year old house in the midwest. The original clay block foundation is still in pretty good shape with only 2 of the basement walls bowing in just over an inch.

My problem is that my basement gets very cold in the winter time and it makes my floors upstairs cold. I hired a contractor to spray foam the rim joists last spring and it seems to be making a small difference in the comfort level of the house. I notice fewer insects getting into the house, less dusty, air conditioner doesn’t need to run as much. The same contractor gave me a bid to insulate and air seal the basement walls but the cost is substantial.

I’m wondering if I could do this myself and save a lot of money. I don’t know exactly how to do this project and I don’t want to trap moisture behind the clay bock walls creating mold and mildew.

Can you tell me how to do this?

Our Answer

I suggest you not insulate the basement walls, but insulate the floor joists above. That should make the first floor quite comforatble and is a project you can do yourself using fiberglass batt insulation!