Basement Insulation

Basement Insulation

From: David D

"Is there any advantage to insulating the basement ceiling before sheet rocking? Should I just save the cost?

Thank you."

Hi David,

If your basement is part of your living area, and since you are “Sheet rocking” (dry walling) it, I assume it is, you’ll want to insulate its walls, not the ceiling. If you want “sound proofing, you could add some rigid board, but to insulate the ceiling would be a waste of money, and probably make your floors upstairs colder in the winter and your basement warmer in the summer.

Heat rises, cold air settles, and these scientific facts are calculated into sizing residential heating/AC systems and work to your advantage.

You want heat to rise until it gets to the “end of the line’, your attic. There is where you want to stop heat loss and there is where you spend your extra money on extra insulation.

Windows, exterior doors, cracks (air spaces), exterior walls are the next big energy thieves, and in that order.

But, getting back to the basement, basement walls are usually made of brick, concrete, cinder block or stone—materials with very poor R-values. You’ll lose a lot of heat through them unless they’re insulated.


Picture shows exterior wall insulation on a
basement wall that is at least 50% below grade.

Basement walls can be insulated from the inside or outside. Regardless, the job requires the expertise of a professional as improperly insulated basement walls can damage a home’s foundation.

For finding out more about how much insulation you need, plus an installation calculator that is easy to use, and an R-value chart for the USA, read my page on calculating how much insulation you should have ...HERE.

For additional information, contact your local utility, and a professional insulation contractor.

Good question!
Thanks for sharing,
Carl