Basement Reno-- what type of insulation in walls?

[Anonymous]

What type of insulation did you use in your basement walls? Anything extremely mold/moisture resistant? My basement is on the damp side, with a very effective french drain and pair of sump pumps installed by the previous owner. There is no flooding, unless I neglect the basement steps before a bad rain storm.

[Anonymous]

Holy cow. Between the need for a sump pump and the flooding if you don't clear a drain and the need for a French drain, I would not have a finished basement.

[Anonymous]

We are doing our snow. I'd be concerned if your basement is damp and has not been dried out for at least a year or two. We are doing foam board - 1/2 inch and Roxul.

[Anonymous]

We did foam board. Interior French drains and sump pump have kept us dry except for one flooding rain a few years ago, when my entire neighborhood had water issues and nearby Home Depot sold out of wet vacs in less than an hour. However, we traced our problem to roof runoff and since having another French drain dug in the yard and the gutters sunk in the ground with drains diverting water away from the house, we have been dry as a bone.

If you've had any water problems ever, i would strongly advise you to do a tile floor. We put radiant heat under ours and it keeps the basement toasty and dry in the winter. Spring, summer, and fall I run a dehumidifier 24/7. It never feels damp down there.

[Anonymous]

OP-- I live in a very small house and I just need one more place for people to gather that isn't the living room. I'm not going to do a fancy reno. Just walls and closets with a tile floor. I will put a bathroom down there. I also need to replace the 50 year old furnace.

The only flooding ever was the one time I let leaves pile up on a drain outside the basement door. I think I'm taking a risk, but hopefully not a big one. Our sump pumps are pretty active in the spring.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP-- I live in a very small house and I just need one more place for people to gather that isn't the living room. I'm not going to do a fancy reno. Just walls and closets with a tile floor. I will put a bathroom down there. I also need to replace the 50 year old furnace.

The only flooding ever was the one time I let leaves pile up on a drain outside the basement door. I think I'm taking a risk, but hopefully not a big one. Our sump pumps are pretty active in the spring.

I would do foam board - either a 2-3 inch or 1/2 to 3/4 inch and roxul. Roux is supposed to handle fire and moisture well. We aren't doing a fancy redo but between doing a new hvac, duct work and the rough-in for the bathroom, things really add up. We have the same issue. Small house, no where to hang out.

[Anonymous]

Oh, code is generally R13.

[Anonymous]

Closed-cell spray form is basically impervious to moisture. Do not use open-cell in the basement.