How to Insulate a Basement | This Old House

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This Old House general contractor Tom Silva shows how to warm up a chilly concrete wall. (See below for a shopping list and tools.) SUBSCRIBE to This Old House: http://bit.ly/SubscribeThisOldHouse Tom helped a homeowner prepare the bare concrete walls in his basement for wallboard. The homeowner wanted to convert his unfinished basement into living space. The first step was to plug the holes in the concrete walls that might let water seep in from outside. To do this, Tom mixed up some hydraulic cement and forced it into the holes. Hydraulic cement expands as it cures, forming a watertight seal. Next, Tom used 2-inch thick foam insulating board to insulate the basement. He applied it to the concrete walls using a special foamboard adhesive. With the foam insulation installed, Tom fastened a wooden "grid" of 1x3 spruce boards over the insulation using masonry "spring spikes." This grid allows wallboard to be fastened with regular drywall screws, and gives an electrician a place to snake wires and install electric boxes for outlets and light switches. Shopping List for How to Insulate a Basement: plant mister [https://amzn.to/4ggeiXu] tie rods [https://amzn.to/40DofID] hydraulic cement [https://amzn.to/42TLXDt] 2-inch-thick rigid polystyrene [https://amzn.to/3EeA7Jw] foam board adhesive [https://amzn.to/3EtDCMf] 1x3 spruce [https://amzn.to/40SoWzb] 4-inch-long spring spike [https://amzn.to/4hiHlLa] 1 5/8-inch drywall screws [https://amzn.to/4gf5Do8] Tools for How to Insulat

Published 2014-11-04 · Watch on YouTube ↗
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