When you are on a tight budget, it can be helpful to know which home performance upgrades will make the biggest difference. This can be a difficult question for our experts to answer since each home presents its own challenges. And it can feel overwhelming to identify what will increase your home comfort and energy efficiency the most. But every time we think about an answer to this question, we always come back to this answer: insulation for the basement makes the biggest difference for the most homes.
Let’s look at the reasons why:
Why Basement Insulation Works:
Adding basement insulation to the area under your house, you are turning your basement into a conditioned space. Insulation prevents the transfer of heat between your home’s foundation and the outdoors. Once your basement is sealed and insulated, your basement will no longer experience cold floors in the winter and have fewer indoor drafts. Not to mention it provides greater indoor temperature stability and lowers your heating and cooling costs. The more stable the temperatures are in the basement, the more stable the temperatures will be throughout your home.
Ways to Insulate a Basement:
It is a common misconception that insulating the basement ceiling is all you need to insulate your basement. However, if all you do is insulate the basement ceiling, it is only taking care of part of the problem. Insulating the ceiling may keep your floors less cold, but it will not do much for the actual temperature of your home. This could lead to frozen water pipes and have a negative effect on air ducts or hot water piping. At Missouri Foundation and Foam, we find recommend that you insulate basement walls as well as the ceiling. Your basement walls are where your home is most vulnerable to the changing weather year round, including moisture intrusion, cold air drafts, and the conduction of cold temperatures through your foundation’s stone, brick, or concrete wall surfaces. By insulating the walls of your basement, you are preventing those unwanted temperatures from entering your living space in the first place, instead of just preventing them from reaching the floors of your home.
Types of Foam Insulation:
At Missouri Foundation and Foam, we have three type of insulating materials available – Spray Foam Insulation, Cellulose Insulation, and Fiberglass Insulation.
Spray Foam adds to the structural integrity of your home, serves as an air barrier as well as a sound barrier and protects your home against mold growth and water damage caused by condensation and moisture.
Cellulose insulation provides incredible resistance to air leakage and densely packed cellulose blocks air better than fiberglass. Cellulose is made from wood fiber and the cellular structure of wood is naturally more resistant to the conduction of heat.
Fiberglass Insulation traps pockets of air, keeping rooms warm in the winter and cooler in the summer. Limiting the amount of air coming into and leaking from a home can work to make a home comfortable. It’s important to note that fiberglass limits air movement, but doesn’t stop it completely.
Schedule Basement Insulation Services Today
Our team provides homeowners with fast and effective basement insulation services. With years of experience and training, our team specializes in providing you with a comfortable home all year round.
Contact Missouri Foundation and Foam at 573-567-0757 or use the contact form on our website to schedule insulation services today.
