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I am planning on finishing my basement. The exterior walls are currently framed and filled with fiberglass insulation that is right up against my poured concrete foundation. I am going to remove the existing insulation, but am wondering how I should insulate the existing stud wall, which is about an inch to 1/2 inch inward of the foundation.
The first option is to remove the studs and framing and insulate the wall with 2" rigid foam board, and then rebuild the wall. I do not want to this is if possible, but will if there are no other options.
Are there any other options that would allow me to keep the existing framing?
The basement is fairly dry and the walls are waterproofed. There is a sump pump that comes on about twice a year when we have really heavy rains or snowmelt.
Leave the existing insulation if the paper side is showing, if it has no paper (or even if it does), cover it with a sheet of plastic . The install a couple of vents at the bottom of the finished wall to allow circulation behind the wall. Spray foam or even the 2 inch foam is overkill in your situation. Just my opinion. If your basement was damp or wet it would be different.
I prefer dismantling any studwalls in the basement and lining the walls with rigid insulation. When properly sealed with approved weather-sealing tape the resulting continuous vapor barrier makes for both a healthier "inert" shell of the basement AND is easier to repair compared to spray foam if you ever problems down the road. It is generally cheaper than spray foam and only less effective from an R-rating standpoint... Avoiding Basement Insulation Mistakes | Be the Pro
In your particular scenario I'd use a "hybrid" approach- since you already have walled studded and there is a gap, knock out one stud and slide 1/2" XPS behind the studs. Tape the seams, then fill the stud cavities with batt insulation.
Tearing down stud walls just to put 2" board, then rebuilding is probably a waste of money and time. If the foundation walls were bare- then doing 2" board, building walls, etc. maybe money ahead- but I doubt it.
If the majority of the foundation walls are subterranean you're already ahead of the curve in the R-value. I would be a little more concerned about any framed exterior wall in the basement. So, the difference in cost of a hybrid wall versus just XPS board I'm sure will save a substantial amount of money AND time.
The bottom plate is a wood 2x4 directly on the concrete. The majority of the walls are below grade, with about 4 inches of the foundation above grade on the side that is framed in.
There was previous water infiltration on the wall that I am going to be finishing, but was corrected with grading and landscaping. During heave rains, the wall remains dry, but the sump pump does come on
[quote=J1mbo01;37647190]The bottom plate is a wood 2x4 directly on the concrete. QUOTE]
Treated by any chance?
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