How to Properly Heat and Insulate Your Finished Basement

During the Lorain area’s cold winters, your finished basement will be a lot more enjoyable if it’s well insulated and heated. You have several choices for both jobs, but some are more effective than others.

Effective, Reliable Insulation for Your Finished Basement

While you might need to patch leaking holes in the basement wall with hydraulic cement, avoid sealing the wall, which prevents the concrete from “breathing” and leads to moisture problems. Some moisture is present in all basements, so avoid using fiberglass insulation directly against the concrete wall. It will collect moisture and develop mold, eventually damaging the wall.

Instead, opt for foam insulation. Spray foam is ideal, but it can get expensive. Unfaced polyiso, expanded polystyrene (EPS), or extruded polystyrene (XPS) foam insulation boards are also effective but less costly. Save the spray foam for tight spots where boards are hard to fit, such as around pipes or wiring. Seal the seams of the boards with foil tape, followed by polyurethane sealant. Attach horizontal nailing strips to the foam with spring spikes. You’ll need to drill pilot holes for the spikes. A vapor barrier isn’t always needed, but if you choose to install one, apply it over the insulation and behind the drywall.

Options for Efficient Heating

If you heat with forced air, extending the ductwork and adding a register near the floor of your finished basement is often the easiest approach. If you use radiators heated by a boiler, you have the option of either installing radiators in the basement or adding radiant floor heating. Electric radiant floor heating is also an option regardless of your existing heating system. Because floor heating warms you directly instead of warming the air, it can keep you comfortable more efficiently than either forced air or radiators. A ductless mini-split is another possibility. This requires an outdoor condenser and an indoor air-handling unit connected by a line run through a small hole in the wall.

For guidance on choosing the best insulation and heating methods for your finished basement, contact us at Energy 1 Heating & Air Conditioning anywhere around Lorain, Elyria, or Oberlin.