Causes of Mold in Basement Areas
Moisture is the key ingredient causing mold in basement areas, but there’s more than just a little moisture that can lead to a mold infestation.
- Excess Moisture: Leaks, spills, and cracks in your foundation also can cause higher humidity and moisture. If you don’t catch and fix these issues directly, mold will begin growing. Try adding a dehumidifier in your basement to stay humidity and moisture low. Using air con during the summer months also will help decrease the humidity and stop the spread of mold.
- Leaks in Your Roof and Walls: Water that leaks in from your roof or pipes are one of the causes of mold in basement areas. A leak brings an endless supply of water and moisture to dark areas in your home. Since most pipes and roofs have a layer of drywall and insulation around them, they create perfect places for mold to grow. Because the mold spreads, you’ll start seeing it growing on your walls and ceilings. Our experts have to fix the leaks and repair the moldy areas.
- Flooding: Excess water in your basement and residential isn’t an honest sign. Flooding causes excess water to leak and accumulate in your basement. Not only are floors wet, but the floodwater will increase humidity making even the dry areas vulnerable to mold. If you don’t start drying the world within 24 hours, mold will start to grow. Fortunately, there are many effective cleaning methods to urge your home to dry fast. One of them is to call us so we can do a professional job.
- Wet Clothing: Do you exercise tons or have you ever just been available from the rain? Wet clothes are another culprit of mold in basement areas. If you throw your clothes within the basement hamper while they’re wet, mold can start to grow on them. Clean clothes that are left within the washer for each day or longer causes mold to grow on the garments and therefore the washer. The mold can spread from your clothes onto the ground, and in extreme cases, onto the walls of your basement. Always open up and dry your clothes to stay both them and your home free from mold.
- Condensation: Excess condensation causes mold around windows, doors, cold pipes, and concrete floors. When these surfaces are cold, condensation will form. You’ll find a number of these to be particularly cold during the winter months. Areas with or near condensation are prime areas for mold growth. Carpet over concrete floors can cause mold in basement areas albeit you can’t see it.
- Poor Ventilation and HVAC: A house with poor ventilation can cause moist stagnant air to supply mold in basement areas and your ventilation. Dirty filters in your HVAC system can house mold and mildew. Moisture gets into the air from steam made by cooking, cleaning, and bathing. Fans and ventilation in your home disperse the moisture to stop mold. However, when the ventilation isn’t working, mold can grow around bathroom fans and within the vents. Putting our best effort, we will make your home a safe place to live in.
Which Part to Insulate in the Basement?
There are three major places where insulation is effective: exterior wall, interior walls, and ceilings. The simplest insulation placement depends on how the basement is employed, also it depends on if the building is already existing otherwise you are constructing a replacement building.
- Wall insulation: Wall insulation is the most significant part of the basement insulation because the utmost amount of warmth is transferred through walls, especially if your surrounding climate is colder within the winter season.
- Ceiling insulation: A general thanks to insulating the ceiling of your building’s basement is fiberglass batt insulation. it’ll make the space within the basement much warmer and thermally stable.
- Floor insulation: once we start constructing a building, we confirm that the inspiration is robust and doesn’t allow any quiet leakage within the building.
Insulating the basement with different products:
| Insulation Method | Quik-Therm CIS | Spray Foam & Studs | Rigid Foam & Studs | Batt & Studs |
| DIY – Fast & Easy to Install | Yes | Contractor Only | Reasonable | Complex |
| Dry, Warm and Comfortable | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Healthy & Mold Resistant / Non Toxic | Yes | Yes – if installed properly | Yes | No |
| Energy Efficient / High Effective R-Value | Yes | Yes | Depends on Thickness | No |
| Cold Climate Tested by Certified Laboratories | Yes | No | No | No |
| Framing Included / Plumbs Walls | Yes | No | No | No |
| Delivered to Your Door | Yes | No | No | No |
| Price | Low to Reasonable | Expensive | Reasonable to Expensive | Cheap but high labour cost |
Pros of Basement Insulation
- Staying Warm. Gaps, cracks, and poorly insulated walls permit valuable warmth to flee from home. If you set insulation in your walls and ceiling in your basement, it’ll boost comfort and cut heating costs. and through the winter, uninsulated walls don’t just create uncomfortable conditions in your basement, they will also make the primary floor unpleasantly cold.
- Moisture Issues. Ground moisture can enter the house through the inspiration walls. Closed cell SPF foam sprayed onto the within of a foundation can help to stop moisture intrusion through the walls. If fiberglass is the choice for the outside wall insulation, please make sure that the vapor barrier meets local code requirements.
- Prevents Freezing of Water Pipes. In areas where the mercury drops frequently, water pipes get frozen easily within the basements. Thus, basement insulation is the best and cost-effective solution.
- Reduces Energy Consumption. When you insulate the basement, there’s no place for warmth to flee. Thus, maintains the specified temperature within the building which further hampers the energy consumption during the variable climate.
How to Insulate Basement Walls
Spray foam
Spray foam is perhaps the simplest possible insulation material for basements and damp areas. Closed cell spray foam is ideal for locking “out” the water vapour that inherently wants to migrate from your damp basement walls to your finished basement rooms. Spray foam offers several benefits including additional structural stability, great vapor barrier, easily covers pipes, wires, and other utilities and it provides exceptional R values. The issues with spray foam are its a substantial tag (although this may recover with time) and it’s a really messy task. However, if you’ll afford the value and mess then this is often the last word insulation product. We at Eco Spray Insulation, use the best of the products to make sure that we approach the clients requests.
Foam Board
The next best basement insulation method is using foam board products. This is often the tactic that we use most frequently and it’s the tactic that the majority of DIY folks can handle. It’s also quite a bit cheaper than spray foam so it’s a beautiful alternative. There are many foam board products on the market so I suggest you read Foam Board Insulation Types and R Values for a fast education on the various products available. We have the best equipment and our professional team will be there for any request or advice.
The key to using the foam board is selecting the right thickness and sealing it properly to make an efficient vapor barrier. If you’re just getting to use foam board then you’ll presumably need 2 to 4 inches in thickness counting on local energy code requirements. I like to recommend sealing all the joints with Tyvek (or similar) house wrap tape. you’ll also use “Great Stuff” spray foam during a can to seal around all of your utilities and also along the rock bottom of the froth board. For more information on using foam board, I like to recommend you read the way to Insulate Basement Walls with Polystyrene Insulation.
Hybrid Foam & Fiberglass Insulation
The last method that we have used may be a hybrid system of froth board and fiberglass. This method is the least expensive yet I think it’ll perform well in basements that don’t have visual signs of water infiltration. This method shouldn’t be used if you’ve got a history of water, even small amounts.
In this method you’ll be installing a layer of froth board, sealing it as noted above. Then you’ll frame a wall (wood or steel as I don’t believe there’s much difference) ahead of the froth board. Finally, you’ll install fiberglass insulation within the stud cavities. Again the key here is to return up with the right R Value supported local energy codes. Based on our experience you shouldn’t use a vapor barrier over the fiberglass insulation during this method.
Questions and answers
Q: What quite a drywall should I exploit on my basement walls?
A: Drywall comes in special moisture-resistant varieties, including “green board” or green drywall and purple drywall. Either is superior for basement applications to the quality white drywall. If the basement is at high risk of flooding or regular high humidity, you’ll also want to think about cementitious products like smooth panels, or maybe galvanized metal or other modernistic finish materials.
Q: What is the best way to insulate basement walls?
A: The 5 basic categories of insulation include foam board, spray poly foam (SPF) insulation, fiberglass, cellulose, rockwool. In some cases, a hybrid of systems also can be effective, like fiberglass and spray foam used together.
Q: Is it important to insulate your finished basement?
A: Yes. Insulating below grade increases comfort, and provides HVAC savings and moisture control. Homeowners can save $390 on electrical costs per annum with a finished basement. And while the return on investment does take time, insulation upgrades actually offer a quicker payback than window replacements.
Q: What exterior insulation should I exploit for my basement?
A: Ideally, exterior insulation should be installed before backfilling walls. However, if permanent features like walks, driveways or patios make excavating the basement wall too costly, then foam board should run down several feet along the foundation’s outside wall then continue horizontally out from the vertical walls for 3’ to 5’.
Conclusion
Basement insulation is unquestionably a crucial factor to think about while insulating other parts of the building and particularly if that building is your comfy house. you would possibly think that thermal insulation may be a costly approach or investment but if you’re during a construction phase then it’ll not cost you much compared to the opposite investments. It surely enhances the lifespan of the building and reduces the post-maintenance costs. Live comfortably and save your energy consumption to scale back your expenses. The key to our success is that we put the needs of the client first, give them solutions, and get the work done in a timely and very efficient manner.
