Basement windows insulation

Measure your window openings. Easily insulate your windows for increased comfort and energy savings.

EnergySavr Window Inserts are effective interior window insulation panels. Push them into the opening inside your existing windows to create an insulating pocket of air. Keep the cold air out in the winter. Keep the hot air out in the summer. This results in saving on heating and air conditioning cost, while creating a more comfortable indoor environment.

Lighter, easier to use, yet insulate as effectively as traditional storm windows. Easy Order window inserts online! Try one or a few, then get them all! You save money with our volume pricing! Group by similar sizes for best shipping rates! Order bigger windows in groups or as part of your full order! You will have a warmer, more comfortable, cleaner and quieter house using EnergySavr Window Inserts. Save money without the high cost and hassle of replacement windows. Save energy and regain comfort by fixing your drafty windows.

These crystal clear insulated windows include vinyl framing and energy-efficient Low-E glass. They never need paint and will never corrode, allowing them to send beautiful light into your basement for years to come!

Contact Total Basement Finishing today to setup a basement finishing consultation and Free Estimate for basement window insulation. Get a Free Estimate! Related Pages. Find A Contractor. Free Estimate.

Contact us online Get my free estimate. Or call us at Learning Center. If the aluminum flashing is unsightly, you can consider replacing it with a more durable material.

There is no perfect material for this application. Some contractors prefer a stucco finish applied over hardware cloth or stucco lath to give it greater strength. Stucco finishes applied directly to the foam are not very durable. Other contractors prefer panel products such as cement board such as James Hardie HardieBacker or pressure-treated plywood.

These can be finished with a durable stucco finish or exterior paint, depending on the appearance you want. Another durable, but high-cost, option is cultured stone veneer. Whatever system you use to cover and protect the insulation, you still have a direct conduit for termites to move from the soil to the wood structure.

Carpenter ants also like to excavate exterior insulation to create a. So if you are in a termite-prone area, you may want to consider moving the insulation to the interior side of the foundation wall. In any event, you should check first with a termite expert for an effective treatment strategy. I am doing a basement renovation and have already purchased foil-faced EPS SilverR board for my continuous insulation barrier against my concrete foundation wall.

I have read a lot of recommendations against using foil faced rigid board in a basement wall assembly but my question is why? If foil faced EPS is mold resistant and impermeable to moisture, and concrete can stay wet for its life then what is the harm of moisture present between those two materials? The usual recommendation is for unfaced foam on the interior of a basement wall, sealed at joints and along the top and bottom.

This creates an air barrier, keeping interior basement air away from the cool basement well where it may condense, and keeping moisture from the basement wall from entering the basement interior. Concrete is highly permeable to water vapor, so it tends to pass soil moisture into the building. Foundations are complicated because moisture can move in either direction, depending on the soil conditions, dampproofing or waterproofing on the basement walls, and temperature and humidity of the interior air.

Unfaced EPS foam is fairly permeable to water vapor with a perm rating of 5 for 1 inch and 2. Extruded polystyrene XPS has a perm rating on 1. Foil facing, however, makes any foam board virtually impermeable to water vapor like polyethylene. These are considered Class I vapor barriers. Using an unfaced foam insulation is hedging your bets, allowing for a minimal amount of drying, in either direction, should things get wet for any reason.

Using foil faced insulation could potentially trap liquid water between the foam and foundation wall. However, if there is no wood between the foam and the wall, you are correct that there is no harm to the concrete.

Maybe the foil facing could delaminate depending on the adhesive used, but no great harm there. However, it would be a good idea to seal the joints between panels and the perimeter of the insulation to keep the interior air basement air isolated from the basement wall. Separately, my contractor is recommending roxul insulation over foam board? They said roxul is moisture resistant and they use it in every basement remodel.

On the interior, either is fine. XPS provides about R-5 per inch vs. R-4 per inch for EPS, commonly known as beadboard. So you can pack more R-value in a smaller space with XPS. On the exterior, I would definitely go with XPS, which has a higher compressive strength, less water absorption, and greater durability. Exterior foundation insulation takes a beating during installing, backfilling, and settlement of the soil.

Also the portion of the insulation above-grade gets a lot of abuse regardless of the finish used. Beadboard gets its name from the tiny beads that are fused together and tend to bread apart under stress. XPS holds up better under real-life conditions. Either material is easily excavated by carpenter ants, however, for warm housing in the winter — one of the reasons I prefer insulating basements on the interior.

Roxul is another option for interior basement insulation. However either one can trap moisture if there is condensation in the wall cavity or moisture migration from the exterior. Remember, a foundation wall with interior insulation is colder than an uninsulated wall, so condensation is more likely to occur in warm weather. Then you can add Roxul or unfaced fiberglass between the studs for extra insulation.

Given the risk of foamboard and excavation by carpenter ants which I do not want to experience, would another alternative be to go with the roxul comfortboard directly on the basement concrete wall? Given the moisture resistance properties of Roxul comfortboard, there should be a lesser chance of trapping water compared to fiberglass and mold building up. Yes, you can certainly use Roxul Comfortboard, placed directly on the interior side of the basement wall.

If you add a stud wall inside the Comfortboard, you can fill the cavities with unfaced fiberglass, rock wool, or any water-resistant insulation for additional R-value. Depending on your climate, a 1 to 1. The interior surface of the insulation board is the condensation plane for warm, moist air in hot, humid weather. Building a basement in Colorado. The best way to preserve square footage on the interior is to use exterior insulation.

The main problems are that bugs like to burrow in and under the foam, and the portion of the foam above grade needs protection from the elements. Mineral wool boards such as Roxul Comfortboard is a great option for exterior foundation insulation as it fire-, bug-, and mold-resistant. It has an R-value of R-4 per in. Foil-faced polyiso board Polyisocyanurate will give the highest R-value at about R-6 per inch. In some areas, code allows to leave the foil-facing exposed — not the case with polystyrene, which must be covered by a fire-rated material.

I am finishing a basement in Brooklyn, new york. I am confused as to whether I need a vapor barrier, a moisture barrier, or no barrier at all? Also how much insulation is enough, if needed at all? Thank you. The short answer is no, you generally do not want a vapor barrier on the walls of a finished basement.

The place to control vapor migration is on the exterior of the basement wall, in the form of waterproofing or damproofing. On the interior, the best insulation to place against the concrete or block is rigid foam without any facing, such as foil or plastic sheeting.

This allows for some drying to take place as foam board is somewhat permeable. Seal all joints with foam sealant to keep moist interior air from reaching the cool concrete wall where water will condense. Finally, you install the drywall and paint with a standard latex paint.

In addition to saving energy, the space will be more comfortable and dryer when insulated and finished. The goal is to create a wall that is somewhat permeable to water vapor, so drying to the interior can take place when needed. Moisture can collect on the basement wall either from the interior condensation or exterior moisture transmission from the soil. Allowing the moisture to escape helps protect the wall system from mold and moisture damage.

If your basement has any moisture problems, these need to be solved before insulating. Read more on Basement Vapor Barriers. Regarding your second question about installing tiles over the concrete slab, there are several ways to do this. You can apply tile directly to a concrete slab with thinset, as long as the slab is level, clean and stable. If the slab is uneven or out of level, you can add a lightweight cement leveling compound to the surface before tiling.

Use a leveling compound approved as a tile substrate. If you use two layers of plywood, adding waterproof carpenters glue between the two layers of plywood will provide a very strong and stable tile base. Offset the joints between the two layers of plywood or plywood and tile backer and screw the top layer only to the subflooring, not into the sleepers.

Next install your isolation membrane which can also serve as a waterproof membrane as needed. Finally install the tile with thinset mortar.

We are in the process of building in Maine. We plan to insulate the inside walls of the basement with at least the R10 foam board. They put the black tar stuff painted on the outside. We plan to have gutters and they are digging trenches to divert water away from the house that the gutters will work with. The one thing that our builder has not mentioned is putting any type of foam board in the floor of our basement. However, insulation under the basement slab will help reduce condensation on the basement floor in warm weather, reducing musty odors and damage to floor finishes.

You can read more here on Subslab Insulation. Whether or not you insulate under the basement slab, a sub-slab vapor barrier is a good idea.