Basement Insulation
EcoFoil Bubble Insulation is the recommended product for use on your basement walls or ceiling. We also offer pre-cut Between Joist Insulation that is designed to staple between floor joists in your basement ceiling. Traditional fiberglass insulation in the basement will accumulate moisture and start to sag while forming mold and mildew. To create the best overall system for insulating your basement, we recommend using EcoFoil along with an XPS, EPS or Polyurethane foam insulation.
Why Use EcoFoil In Your Basement?
- Reflects 96% of radiant heat - Find out how a radiant barrier works
- Helps keep heat inside your basement
- Bubble insulation is a full vapor barrier
- Very durable and can't be ripped or torn by hand
- Lightweight and easy to handle
- Safe to handle and requires no special clothing or breathing equipment
What's needed to install EcoFoil Basement Insulation?
The exact equipment needed to install EcoFoil Bubble Insulation in your basement will be determined by which installation method is being used. There are a few things that will be used to install our product regardless of which method is chosen.
Items needed for installation
- Scissors or a Sharp utility knife to cut the product
- Insulation Tape to seal the seams - Never to be used to attach the product to the building!
- Construction Staples - 3/8" wide is a very popular size
- A staple gun - mechanical, pneumatic or electric
- Recommended - Someone to help hold the product while installing
Basement Installation Instructions
More About Basement Insulation
Installing EcoFoil Bubble Insulation as a basement wall insulation will keep your basement warm by insulating the walls from radiant heat transfer. EcoFoil Bubble Insulation is also an impermeable vapor barrier that will keep your basement dry and prevent condensation when all seams are taped off. Temperatures in uninsulated basements can easily be 5-15 degrees cooler than the living space above. When building a new home it's important to take every step to make sure it's as energy efficient as possible. A significant amount, as much as 33%, of the home’s energy is lost through an unfinished basement. It would be hard to consider such a home as being energy efficient.
Fiberglass insulation is porous, and thus susceptible to air filtration. Without a separate vapor barrier, the warm moist air in your basement will migrate to the cold concrete wall surface and moisture will condense. A much better option for insulation of basement walls is to install a layer of extruded polystyrene (XPS) or some other rigid foam directly to the concrete wall. However, even with XPS rigid foam board insulation for basement walls, you may still have a moisture problem because any polystyrene under 1-1/2" thickness is not considered impermeable enough to be a vapor barrier. The exact perm ratings for any insulation product will vary so you should consult with the insulation manufacturer before purchasing a basement wall vapor barrier.
A "perm", also referred to as a permeability rating is the unit of measurement used to characterize the water vapor permeance of any building material, like insulation. There are several classes of vapor retarders, but according to ASTM E-96, a Class 1 Vapor Retarder has a perm rating of 0.1 or less. All EcoFoil Bubble Insulation products have a permeability rating of 0.02 - thus making them superior Class 1 Vapor Retarders and an approved basement wall vapor barrier.
Insulation for basement walls can differ depending on your climate zone. EcoFoil Bubble Insulation is excellent for insulating concrete basement walls and works especially well when combined with a foam insulation and a dead air space on one side of the product.
Do you have a project that requires EcoFoil insulation for your basement? If so, please feel free to give us a call at (888) 349-3645 or send us an email to customerservice@ecofoil.com. We welcome the opportunity to answer any questions you may have!
