It’s only recently that basements have been set up for living. Years ago, the space was allotted for doing laundry, for the furnace equipment, and for the water heater. There was also plenty of storage space for everything that was leftover. Mostly, the basement walls were made of brick materials, and seldom there was any insulation or drywall installed. The basement was damp and cold, and hardly livable. Today, most basements are functional, usable, and quite livable.
Today’s basements are used as additional living rooms, home-based offices, extra bedrooms, or self-contained guest suites. It’s now a space that is practical and functional. And it’s comfortable because it’s properly insulated. An insulated basement is comfortable throughout the year, and can provide energy conservation, especially during extreme temperatures. For basement insulation in Thornhill,
the increasing cost of utilities makes a project like this worthwhile.
Generally speaking, homeowners don’t realize how important it is to insulate the basement. It’s not right, because the basement should be insulated like the rest of the house. Many insulation experts will argue that insulating the basement is actually more essential than the rest of the house. Indeed, basement insulation may well be one of the best home improvement projects. Amongst other benefits, lower seasonal utility bills make the overall project costs well worthwhile.
When insulating the basement walls, and when using a quality product and professional installation, a number of benefits are derived: outdoor/indoor air transfer is controlled; thermal resistance is enhanced; and the moisture accumulation of is constrained. When the basement is well insulated, energy conservation is maximized because the HVAC unit functions more efficiently. Savings on both summer and winter utilities will be noticeable, and more so in areas with extreme temperatures.
Insulating the basement space, including the basement walls, is a project that will almost certainly deliver cost savings. A well-insulated basement will contribute to reduced heating and cooling costs right around the year. Those savings will make the project costs well worthwhile in the long run.
In a typical installation, the experts agree that bottom-line benefits from insulating are related directly to the amount of R-Value installed (high R-Value = better results). But the actual results will vary by the project: the basement size; the insulation product; and the install method being used.
With a high quality product, and a professional installation, a typical homeowner will experience cost savings on summer and winter utilities. But once again, the savings will differ with each project - the basement layout/size - the product that’s being used - and the volume of R-Value that is installed.
In different parts of the country, building code requisites tend to differ when installing basement insulation. Expert insulation contractors will know the rules, and will recommend the right product and the right install. In terms of new building construction, there may be stricter specifications.
When insulating the basement walls, it is important and essential is to source any water entry issues. Any type of water entry is a problem, and therefore requires proper fixing. This must be done prior to any insulation work. If water entry is serious, fixing it may become quite a big project.
Traditional basement layouts always have spaces that are difficult to reach. For this, the best product for the job is spray foam insulation. No other insulation product can properly reach these spaces, and with spray foam, the sealing and insulating is accomplished in one single install.
Homeowners who are doing basement insulation in Thornhill can rely on their contractor to suggest an insulation product and install method that best suits the project. In more recent years, contractors have been installing spray foam as their preferred product for the basement. Spray foam coats the basement entirely – in one single application, it provides an insulation layer, an air barrier, and a vapor barrier. As well, it provides a higher R-Value rating than any insulation product on the market.
To achieve the ultimate in insulation, professionals recommend insulation under the basement floor. Here, the spray foam is applied as an underlying layer, with a layer of concrete applied on top. It’s the ultimate sealer and insulator for any basement. However, it’s not a project suited for everyone’s budget. Now, beyond the floor, the basement walls should be well insulated – they must be airtight so that incoming and outgoing airflow is restricted, and moisture collection is restrained.
The purpose of insulating the basement is to conserve energy, and for every homeowner that should mean cost savings. The very best results are derived from a spray foam install – it’s a quality product and an installation that provides the very best outcome. Spray foam can do it all with one application: making the entire basement airtight; serving as an air barrier and moisture barrier; and insulating the space with R-Values that are higher than other comparable insulation products.
Spray foam insulation is high-end – it’s a premium product that might not suit every budget. With this in mind, an excellent option would be the “hybrid” method. This is a combination method that uses a spray foam product along with fiberglass “batts”. The spray foam is installed first, after which the “batts” are installed. These products compliment each other and deliver great results. The “hybrid” method is cost effective, and the benefits make the overall install cost well worthwhile.
Regardless of project size, basement insulation is a big undertaking. That’s why it’s so important to execute properly. And although the spray foam installation is by far the best, many homeowners will do well with the “hybrid” alternative. Together, the spray foam product, along with the fiberglass “batts” deliver excellent dollar value, and impressive insulating benefits for many years to come.