Should You Insulate Floor Joists In Basement
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Hold the batts in place by stapling their paper faced vapor retarders to the lower edges of the joists.
Should you insulate floor joists in basement. Check out the guide to insulating basement walls link above. If you have an unvented crawlspace or basement you must insulate the walls instead of the floor joists. First you ll have to maneuver batts of insulation around the clutter of wires pipes and cross bracing in a typical basement ceiling. Lay down a moisture barrier with sheets of 6 mil plastic if you have a dirt or gravel floor.
Two story homes usually have another ring of rim joists above the first floor ceiling. I have an almost identical installation in my home basement. 4c as an alternative to floor insulation foundation walls of unvented crawl spaces. To prevent these problems only air impermeable insulation either rigid foam or spray polyurethane foam should be used to insulate the interior of a rim joist.
4b slab floors built directly on the ground. When you re using fiberglass batting insulation material run it about 6 inches or so onto the crawl space floor. Also insulate 4a any portion of the floor in a room that is cantilevered beyond the exterior wall below. Be sure to seal rim joists.
4d extend insulation into joist space to reduce air flows. Properly insulating and air sealing rim joists band joists takes patience so most builders simply stuff in some fiberglass and walk away. When insulating basement walls don t forget the band joist the piece of wood at the top of the wall that extends around the perimeter and encloses the ends of the floor joists. Basement insulation bonus tip 1.
If the crawl space is ventilated which is ideal because it aids in the elimination of moisture then fiberglass insulation can be easily installed under the subfloor between the floor joists. This will also block tiny passages where spiders and other insects enter your basement. If you need to insulate these rim joists it s best to hire a cellulose insulation contractor. The insulation should extend all the way down to the basement floor or at least to below the frost line the depth to which the ground freezes in winter.
Jerry thanks for the comment getting back to you after the holidays. Cut pieces of insulation just large enough to fit along the rim joist the framing material into which all the floor joists are nailed. Impervious insulation is always an excellent idea for basement walls but it s absolutely essential where the floor joists of the level above meets outside walls along the edges of a basement ceiling.