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Author Which Insulation do I use for Open Basement Ceiling Overhead Subflloring, Flooring
Mike

2007-02-04, 5:25 pm

Hi, I want to insulate the ceilimg in the basement of my house. The
ceilings are about 7' high or a little lower.
It consist of exposed rafters 10" high 2" thick and spaced 12" apart above
that is wood subflooring the finished flooring.
This summer I'll be installing some wiring below the floor so whatever I
install now I'll have to remove some of it for the wiring installation this
summer.

Thanks,

Mike



Mike

2007-02-04, 5:25 pm


"Mike" <1234@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:8Stxh.64371$h75.9365@trnddc01...
> Hi, I want to insulate the ceilimg in the basement of my house. The
> ceilings are about 7' high or a little lower.
> It consist of exposed rafters 10" high 2" thick and spaced 12" apart above
> that is wood subflooring the finished flooring.
> This summer I'll be installing some wiring below the floor so whatever I
> install now I'll have to remove some of it for the wiring installation
> this summer.
>
> Thanks,
>
> Mike


I neglected to state I live in the mid atlantic region, Baltimore, and there
is no furnace in the basement only a gas fired water heater for a heat
source. Earlier today the temp was 48 degrees in the basement. It's got
electric baseboard heat
but I only use it when the outside temp is below 20 degreee F for extended
periods.




Edwin Pawlowski

2007-02-04, 8:25 pm


"Mike" <1234@yahoo.com> wrote in message
> I neglected to state I live in the mid atlantic region, Baltimore, and
> there is no furnace in the basement only a gas fired water heater for a
> heat source. Earlier today the temp was 48 degrees in the basement.
> It's got electric baseboard heat
> but I only use it when the outside temp is below 20 degreee F for extended
> periods.


Insulate the walls, not the ceiling. The heat going up will stay in the
house until it reaches the second floor and some small loss to the walls.
The heat going out the walls is lost and expensive.


Joseph Meehan

2007-02-04, 8:25 pm

Edwin Pawlowski wrote:
> "Mike" <1234@yahoo.com> wrote in message
>
> Insulate the walls, not the ceiling. The heat going up will stay in
> the house until it reaches the second floor and some small loss to
> the walls. The heat going out the walls is lost and expensive.


I agree with Ed. Any heat lost is going towards heating your home.
However you can be loosing heat out the walls.

--
Joseph Meehan

Dia 's Muire duit



Mike

2007-02-04, 9:25 pm


"Edwin Pawlowski" <esp@snet.net> wrote in message
news:rKuxh.24860$yC5.15771@newssvr27.news.prodigy.net...
>
> "Mike" <1234@yahoo.com> wrote in message
>
> Insulate the walls, not the ceiling. The heat going up will stay in the
> house until it reaches the second floor and some small loss to the walls.
> The heat going out the walls is lost and expensive.


The walls are pretty much insulated, I guess, they are cinder block about
one half of the basement is above ground.
I'm working on extra insulation for the windows. The problem is the
basement is unheated w/a gas water heater generating some heat. So cold
air - 48 degrees F today - is seeping into the living space on the first
floor. (the house has electric baseboard heat, including the basement but
I'm trying to conserve by insulating and looking at other heat sources)
Today the basement is 48 degrees F. Outside temp going to 14 degrees F this
evening.

Upstairs I'm covering the 20 y/o cheap replacement windows in plastic. I
installed a high quality "door sweeP on the inside of the door which is a
huge improvement.


'


Mike

2007-02-04, 9:25 pm


"Joseph Meehan" <sligoNoSPAMjoe@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:45c68c73$0$1369$4c368faf@roadrunner.com...
> Edwin Pawlowski wrote:
>
> I agree with Ed. Any heat lost is going towards heating your home.
> However you can be loosing heat out the walls.


I hear you but the baSEMent is unheated.

>
>



Joe Fischer

2007-02-05, 1:25 pm

On Mon, 05 Feb 2007 07:02:46 -0500, Nick Hull <nhull@isp.com> wrote:

>In article <8Stxh.64371$h75.9365@trnddc01>, "Mike" <1234@yahoo.com>
>wrote:
>
>I might suggest cutting 2" sheet styrofoam to fit against the floor
>between the rafters. It will not interfere with subsequent wiring and
>will make the floor a lot warmer. The gaps in the styrofoam are
>insulated with wood 2x10s.


Check to see if code allows it.

Better to use a fire resistant material, like rock wool.

Joe Fischer

Mike

2007-02-05, 8:25 pm


"Wayne Pein" <wpein@nc.rr.com> wrote in message
news:45c76e5b$0$4906$4c368faf@roadrunner.com...
> Mike wrote:
>
>
> The cinder block foundation above gound is not insulated. By insulating
> this, you better hold in the earth's natural heat of mid to upper 50's
> degrees F (depending on location).
>
>
>
> By insulating like I said above, the goal is to raise the basement
> temperature above its current 48 F to closer to the upper 50's.
>
> Wayne


I'll go to home depot and check out insulation for cinder block walls.


Mike

2007-02-05, 8:25 pm


"Joe Fischer" <joe@westpointracing.com> wrote in message
news:i9oes2tou5rjvmg3gqild4o1bfmrhble4e@4ax.com...
> On Mon, 05 Feb 2007 07:02:46 -0500, Nick Hull <nhull@isp.com> wrote:
>
>
> Check to see if code allows it.
>
> Better to use a fire resistant material, like rock wool.
>
> Joe Fischer


Will do.


Mike

2007-02-05, 8:25 pm


"Nick Hull" <nhull@isp.com> wrote in message
news:nhull-7B0675.07024605022007@dialupusa.usenetserver.com...
> In article <8Stxh.64371$h75.9365@trnddc01>, "Mike" <1234@yahoo.com>
> wrote:
>
>
> I might suggest cutting 2" sheet styrofoam to fit against the floor
> between the rafters. It will not interfere with subsequent wiring and
> will make the floor a lot warmer. The gaps in the styrofoam are
> insulated with wood 2x10s.


Good idea. I wouldn't know how to deal w/ all of the fiberglass particles
floating around the basement from cutting up fiberglass insulation.


Astro

2007-02-06, 1:25 pm

On Feb 4, 9:56 pm, "Mike" <1...@yahoo.com> wrote:
> "Joseph Meehan" <sligoNoSPAM...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
>
> news:45c68c73$0$1369$4c368faf@roadrunner.com...
>
>
>
>
> I hear you but the baSEMent is unheated.
>
>

Be sure to go to buildingscience.com and read what they have to say
about insulating basement walls. They can be tricky because of
moisture migration in and out of the walls. Block walls are like
sponges. They will suck in the water from the ground and outside air
and bring it into the lower humidity zone in the house. There have
been bad incidents where people have used vapor barriers on the inside
block walls, as it traps the moisture, allows it to build up and
create severe mold problems. Since the foundation is already in place,
you have to assume that the moisture will get into the block and it
will try to dry to the inside. As such, your inside insulation has to
allow the wall to dry to the inside. buildingscience.com goes into
details of how you can accomplish this most effectively.

LinkBot





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