Make sure to seal the joints for a true vapor barrier. Hi Todd- I have a unfinished basement which I am in middle of finishing with contractor help. • Pour concrete slab to cover all FOAMULAR® Insulation. Ted Gorab Oct. 3, 2019 Last updated: Feb. 26, 2021. It is also a good idea to spray foam the joints of the foam board. The most obvious reason for installing rigid board insulation in your garage is the heating and cooling efficiency gained by using it. Rigid foam also works well when the concrete or block walls are smooth and flat. The process is more tricky than installing foil insulation during the construction of a property, but can be undertaken if need be. It comes in standard-size 4×8 sheets, and smaller sizes, in many different thicknesses from 1/4 inch to 2 inches. I installed 1-1/2″ extruded polystyrene foam insulation board by DOW. The correct method of using rigid foam is to run continuous 4-foot by 8-foot sheets of the foam across the concrete basement wall, making the rigid foam the de facto wall. Adhere and apply the remaining panels. Although foam board insulation can be used in almost any part of a home, this material is particularly well suited for a garage space where exposed walls and ceilings need insulation with ease of installation. Then, repeat the process. Finally we install some type of insulation in the wall cavities. Use foam insulation. Install these panels over wall or ceiling cavities, including those filled with existing fiberglass batts, to boost the R-value and improve home comfort and efficiency. In essence, retrofitting is a way to install insulation in the roof, walls and floors of a building after it has been built. Under Concrete Slab • Install FOAMULAR® Insulation after gravel fi ll has been built up to grade, thoroughly tamped and vapor retarder placed. 4. 2. There are several ways to attach foam board insulation to the cinder block or concrete walls. The best way to insulate the interior side of a basement wall is with foam insulation that is adhered to or sprayed directly on the concrete. However, it can still be installed to masonry walls down the track. The first step in insulating a basement wall is to install the polystyrene insulation (for more information we recommend reading: R Values Of Foam Board Insulation). You want the foam to cover the foundation wall from the top of the floor slab all the way to the very top of the foundation wall. After you made sure the polystyrene mortar has dried out, you can begin drilling holes through the insulation layer in the concrete wall, as to install the special dowels. For a little thermal insulation and more moisture protection, we’re applying pieces of half-inch foam insulation board between the furring strips. After the cement is set, apply a foam board adhesive to the rear of a polystyrene insulation panel, then press the panel to the wall. The thermal resistance (R-value) of foam board offers insulation and acts as a vapor retarder when installed on walls and covered with drywall or paneling. It all works fine. 3. For roofs, this is generally done by applying a coating such as tar, acrylic, silicone or rubberized paint. Apply adhesive to the interior of the wall between the furring and glue the rigid foam insulation. He’s going to gut the room, but doesn’t plan to remove any exterior siding.His goal is to boost the R-value, and improve the air-sealing, in exterior walls by adding a layer of rigid foam insulation on the inside, after filling the walls with cellulose. The next step involves measuring the wall and accordingly cutting the board so it fits the wall, unless you have purchased an already pre-cut and ready-made board. In addition to scoring, it can be cut by an ordinary wood saw. And I've read that with the foam board on the concrete I should NOT use poly vapour barrier between stud wall and drywall. Step-by-Step Basement Insulation Installation . I've used all different types of adhesives and haven't found any that stick right away. I plan on attaching 1 inch foam board insulation to the concrete wall and seal all seams with tuck tape. Some installers use a foam board adhesive while others attach the foam board using screws or masonry nails. 2) Don’t use a vapor barrier, such as poly, on the interior. Step 2: Insulate Concrete Wall using 2-inch Foam-Board. Cut each sheet of rigid foam insulation to fit the crawl space wall height. There are a number of insulation systems and materials which are readily available and easy to install. Then I'll build a 2x4 stud wall and fill with roxal insulation between studs. Concrete walls can be insulated on the interior or exterior face, or by embedding the material within the wall. While these are the options, again the material available to use depends on whether the walls will be covered, or the open top is exposed, like in a remodel or new build. The concrete wall was painted with water proofing paint. • Lay FOAMULAR® Insulation in place with edges pressed together and butting the foundation wall or adjacent vertical insulation. Cover floor area with foam insulation boards with edges tightly butted. 1 in. Over time, the sun's ultraviolet rays can damage them. Since adhesives can fail over time, we recommend screws or nails. How To Install Foil Insulation On Roof? I read in one of your articles when putting up rigid foam to Install two inches of rigid insulation board directly against concrete. Any of the following insulation materials are acceptable for this purpose: closed-cell spray polyurethane foam or either XPS, EPS, or polyisocyanurate rigid foam. When installing rigid foam insulation, it is advisable to do so in unfinished walls. Install concrete slab. There are several different variations of insulating. You can follow the steps and options given in the previous method. After the adhesive cures, add extension boxes to the outlets and switches, and spray foam … Rigid foam insulation offers a thermal resistance between R-5 and R-8, roughly twice that offered by traditional batt insulation. A mold expert told me to put the board on top of the framing, not directly onto the concrete wall … The closed cell foam insulation is an exceptional vapor barrier, and when the seams at all butt joints and the corners are taped, it will be very hard for water vapor to get to the cold walls. Most of the foam insulation paneling available at home improvement centers is made of either Molded Expanded Polystyrene (MEPS) or Extruded Expanded Polystyrene (XEPS). I've recently begun building energy effecient homes and would like input about how others are attaching rigid foam board to concrete stem walls. Proper sealing of areas around wires, pipes or vents that leak outside air into the home increases the effectiveness of the insulation qualities of foam board insulation. Petrychenko Anton/Shutterstock. Will this be enough insulation? Should this be the case, unfortunately you may have to cut out some portions of the wall to remove the old insulation. If insulation is present, you’ll want to check to see if it is damp or moldy.  When you want to install spray foam wall insulation in Dallas, TX, turn to the professionals at Foam Tech. The pros and cons of building an inside-out wall. The foam board I am used comes with a tongue and grove so installation is pretty easy. I used a special Styrofoam adhesive to adhere the foam board to the concrete (you can also use “Great Stuff Pro” foam in a can). Two standard, effective ways of insulating a foundation wall 1 Seamless insulation plus fibre insulation between wooden studs . Cut the rigid foam insulation to fit between the furring strips. The goal is to keep the inside face of the foam sheathing above the dew point of the interior air. A unique free-rise manufacturing process produces the uniform, closed-cell VI. The option for insulating concrete block walls includes spray foam insulation, injection foam insulation, polystyrene beads, foam boards, and loose-fill masonry insulation. Consequently, you should use a good drilling machine with hammering function and a drill bit (usually #10) in order to make holes in the concrete wall. foundation wall and the concrete slab, cut foam insulation pieces to the appropriate size and place against the foundation wall with foam ends tightly butted. Interior moisture can enter the wall from air leaks or diffusion through the wall finish. Rigid foam insulation is easy to use. Make sure your adhesive is free of solvents, which can eat away at the foam insulation. Sheathing Interior Masonry Wall Insulation Including Concrete Tilt Up and CMU Block walls THERMAX™ Sheathing is a non-structural, rigid board insulation consisting of a glass-fiber-reinforced polyisocyanurate foam core laminated between pinhole-free aluminum foil facers. Ensure design provides an acceptable covering of the foam at the interior floor level. A little construction adhesive will hold these in place until the drywall is installed. Wrapping It Up. Expanded Polystyrene, or EPS for short, is an economical, versatile, lightweight, rigid, plastic foam insulation material produced from solid beads of polystyrene. Add Insulation Board . The end product is made up of fine spherical cells that comprise 98% air. We are the spray foam experts. We usually have to lean a 2x4 against it or shovel some dirt against it. Step 1 – Install Extrude Polystyrene Insulation Boards. To install in an unfinished wall, begin by measuring the height and width of the wall cavities between the studs. Foam board insulation is easy to use and is a great DIY way to add some insulation. (25 mm) polystyrene board across the entire concrete surface (R-5) or, if the concrete surface is irregular, ¾ in. If furring isn't present, cut and install the rigid foam as in step two. Protect all types of foam insulation from direct sunlight. After that, thin furring strips are installed on top of the foam to provide a firm base for the drywall screws and drywall.But can you run rigid foam between the studs, just as you would do with fiberglass rolls or spray foam? Now, take your rigid foam insulation and cut it to fit these measurements. Rigid foam sheets are best for do-it-yourselfers who are insulating basements prior to framing the walls. Now, as you glue the panels to the exposed concrete blocks, leave a ½-inch gap at the floor and ceiling, and cut holes in the panels to fit around outlets and wall switches. Foam insulation panels are a convenient and economical way to add insulation to garage doors, sheds, stud walls, foundation walls, attics, roofs, etc. (2 cm) of sprayed polyurethane foam directly on the (R-4.5); The stud wall (2×4) is already installed. Foam insulation sprayed or placed in wall and floor cavities both insulates and offers some degree of soundproofing. Eric Nash has a kitchen renovation in the works at a house with 2×4 exterior walls. Finally, simply apply the rigid foam to the wall, starting at the slab and then pushing it back toward the ceiling joists as in the image below. Three basic types of thermal insulation are available rigid board, batt or blanket, and spray-on. Can I still install insulation board on the stud wall or it has to be done on concrete wall. Please advice. I'm using a pier on grade beam foundation which requires 8"-10" of concrete to be covered. For ease, Foam-board approach using polystyrene panels is going to work out best. After the rigid foam has been applied to the wall, apply pressure for 30 seconds.