How to insulate a basement from the outside according to all construction rules. Basement insulation with polystyrene foam

Insulating a cellar with polystyrene foam is best done during the construction stage, but if you bought a ready-made house or such work has not been carried out in it before, then this situation can be corrected quite easily. Polystyrene foam is a good insulation material. It has poor thermal conductivity and tolerates moisture well, so it is perfect for basement insulation. You can do all the necessary work with your own hands, but before you insulate the cellar, it is important to consider the main features of finishing the cellar with foam plastic.

Cellar construction.

Good reasons why it is necessary to insulate a used basement:

vegetables freeze at sub-zero temperatures;
storing garden equipment in an uninsulated basement is no different from storing it outside;
installing a boiler room in such a basement will entail large heat losses and, consequently, additional fuel costs.

The simplest and most inexpensive way to solve this problem is to insulate the basement from the inside with polystyrene foam.

What is the difference between a cellar and a basement?

Basement is a room located under a residential building. The key characteristic is the presence of indirect heating. In this case, during the heating period the basement is much warmer than the cellar. In addition, it contains communications. In this connection, the requirements for basement insulation are stricter. Among other things, the basement ceiling is a serious source of heat loss from the heated rooms on the first floor.

A cellar is an object located separately or located under a summer kitchen, garage, or outbuildings. The temperature in it is more stable throughout the year, which means canned goods, vegetables or wine are stored much better.

This is what leads to the fact that, if there is free space on the site, the owners tend to build a cellar on the street. And already during operation, the question invariably arises whether it is necessary to insulate the cellar. After all, from excess heat, vegetables will begin to wither and rot, and from too little heat, they will freeze.

Of course, it is better to carry out thermal insulation work during the construction of the cellar. But what about those who already have a cellar in their country house? How to insulate a cellar from freezing without serious expenses?

The choice of insulation method involves carrying out work in one of the following areas:

insulation of the cellar from the outside;
insulation of the cellar from the inside;
combined insulation. The most effective way, because is complex.

Stages and rules of external insulation

It is important to know these points, as they directly affect the quality and durability of the basement finish. This:

Work should only be carried out in dry weather. Since the work on insulating and waterproofing a cellar can take several days (everything will depend on the number of workers and the pace of work), it is best to carry out such activities in the summer or early autumn.
You will need to insulate the entire wall - from the foundation to the ceiling (floor). If you only insulate part of the base, it will do nothing.

Preparation for the process:

Remove the blind area.
Dig a trench around the entire perimeter of the house. Its depth should be at the level of the basement floor. The width is such that it will allow you to carry out work easily.
Clean the walls from remnants of building materials and old finishing. It is also important to remove dirt from it.
Inspect the wall surface for cracks and chips. If such are found, they should be sealed with a solution of cement and sand. After the solution has hardened, you can continue further work.
If the surface of the basement walls is finished with foam plastic, then you will also need to level the base so that the sheets lie flat.
After preparation, the surface should be finished with a primer. There should be several layers. Only after it has been completely absorbed into the base can work continue.
The waterproofing material can be fused to the walls after applying a primer.
Next, you can work with the insulation.

Polystyrene foam or extruded polystyrene foam

Work on insulating an external wall using these materials can be carried out on your own. This type of work does not require any special skills or knowledge. These materials are the most common today, which are used as insulation.

The basement walls are insulated with extruded polystyrene foam slabs

Process:

Calculate the area of the wall and determine how many insulation boards will be required for the job.
It is important to add about 10% to the result obtained for the battle.
Prepare the solution.
Apply glue evenly to the foam board and glue it to the base. Such work must begin from below. Each row is attached to the base with an offset relative to the previous one.
After finishing, you need to coat the seams between the sheets. This should be done using cement mortar. Also, if necessary, you can cover the entire surface of the slabs with this solution.

Expanded clay

This material is free-flowing, and therefore installation work can also be carried out on your own. The disadvantage of such insulation is that it is necessary to make too large a layer, since its thermal conductivity is lower than that of foam plastic. The recommended layer is 10-20 centimeters.

Scheme for insulating basement walls with expanded clay

Work order:

Another wall is erected at a distance of 20-30 cm from the basement wall. It can be made from brick.
Gravel spills along the bottom.
Drainage is laid and diverted away from the building.
Expanded clay is poured into the gap between the walls.
The second additional wall from the outside must also be waterproofed.

After this, the expanded clay is compacted and a concrete screed is placed on top of it. It is also important to put waterproofing underneath. You can refuse to install insulation.

Important! For the interior decoration of the basement walls, you can use the same material as for the exterior. Only the use of expanded clay in this case will not be effective, since it will take up the usable area of the room. Typically, insulation from the inside is carried out using polyurethane foam.

Floor and its insulation

Not only the basement walls should be waterproofed and insulated. Such work should also be carried out on the floor. They are made using the same material that was used for the walls. Expanded clay should be poured or polystyrene foam should be placed between the joists, first covering the floor with waterproofing material. You can also put a film on top under the main floor to prevent moisture from entering the room.

Scheme of floor insulation in the basement on the ground

If there is no log system on the floor, then you can make it yourself using timber. It is also recommended to first waterproof them with a solution that will prevent the appearance of mold and mildew. The beams must be placed at a distance of 50 centimeters from each other, connecting them together with planks. If necessary, insulation can be placed on top of the first layer of waterproofing. After such work, the main floor is installed and finished.

Types of vegetable storage

Any cellar has a floor, ceiling and walls. The latter are ground, if the soil is dense, or brick (made of stone), if it is mobile. The floor in the cellar is usually earthen, and the ceiling is reinforced concrete or wood.

The structure itself is located at different levels relative to the surface of the earth, so vegetable storage facilities are usually distinguished by type. Depending on this, the method of insulating it is selected.

Above ground cellar

A structure with a depth of no more than 0.5 m into the ground. An above-ground shelter can be an extension to a garage, any outbuilding (wall-mounted), or can be located separately from other buildings.

Insulation of the above-ground cellar is carried out outside and inside the vegetable storage. The emphasis is on the external walls and roof of the building. The roof is insulated from the inside, the walls are insulated from the street side. Soft and hard insulation materials are suitable for these purposes.

Thermal insulation systems for the facade of a ground cellar are most often made of foam plastic. This is the most affordable material for budget and self-installation, which has the necessary properties.

Semi-buried cellar

The floor of this structure is located at a depth of up to one and a half meters from the surface of the earth. In winter, soil heaving can lead to deformation of walls, and rain and melt water can lead to flooding of vegetable storage. Therefore, in parallel with insulation, the question arises of waterproofing the cellar and strengthening its walls to the depth of soil freezing.

Protection of the buried part of the wall is necessary. First, it needs to be treated with mastic or another waterproofing compound (you can wrap it in roofing felt), then cover it with sheets of foam plastic and make a protective layer of roofing felt. And cover the resulting pie with soil. To minimize the influence of water, the arrangement of a drainage system helps.

Bulk (underground) cellar

The floor of such a cellar is located at a depth of 2-3 meters from the soil surface. It best maintains a constant plus on the thermometer, regardless of the time of year. But such a deepening into the ground requires serious attention to the waterproofing of the structure.

The bulk cellar is insulated from the outside and inside.

Preparing for basement insulation work

Before insulating the basement, it is necessary to find out the characteristics of the soil at the building site. If its water saturation is higher than normal, it is recommended to carry out drainage work in order to drain groundwater from the underground part of the house. The drainage system consists of drainage pipes with holes. They need to be laid alternately on a gravel bed made with a slope of 3-5% below the base of the foundation. After installation, the pipes must be covered with washed crushed stone. When the drainage system operates, groundwater, seeping through the crushed stone, penetrates the laid pipeline, through which it is then discharged to the sewer or to a separate well. To prevent pipes from silting, the crushed stone bedding must be protected with geotextile - a filter material. It allows water to pass through perfectly, retaining small soil particles. Thanks to this filtration, the drainage system will not become clogged for a long time. In addition to draining groundwater from the basement, before insulating it, it is necessary to examine the condition of the buried part of the walls. First, they need to be cleaned of dirt or old insulation. If after this, cracks and chips are found on the basement walls, they should be sealed with sealing mastic. All identified surface irregularities must be smoothed using a cement mixture. Otherwise, the fit of the insulation boards to the basement walls will not be tight.

Insulation of the entrance area: doors or hatch to the cellar

If the entrance to the cellar is located in a house or garage, there are no special requirements for its insulation.

But if the entrance is located on the street, then it is necessary to insulate the entrance to the cellar.

Work order:

Insulation of a cellar door was previously carried out using felt and other soft materials. However, now the use of rigid insulation materials that are glued to the doors is considered justified. Then the insulation is covered with a sheet of plywood, plastic or natural wood. Be sure to eliminate the gaps at the junction of the door and the frame. The door seal is installed at this location;

Insulation of the cellar hatch is carried out in a similar way. Only more attention is paid to reliable fixation of the insulation on the surface of the lid. Otherwise, it may fall off.

An important point that you should pay attention to when insulating a door or hatch is to exclude the possibility of them opening arbitrarily. Otherwise, all work on thermal insulation of the cellar will be useless.

Advantages of basement insulation with polystyrene foam and its disadvantages

The experience of thermal insulation of basements with polystyrene foam indicates that even at a foundation depth of more than 7 m, it is reliable, regardless of the brand of this material and the duration of exposure to groundwater under pressure. When deciding to insulate a basement with extruded polystyrene foam, you need to know about its advantages and disadvantages in order to use this insulation as efficiently as possible. The advantages include the following:

Basement insulation with polystyrene foam creates an excellent coating with low thermal conductivity.
The weight of the insulation is so small that it does not exert any serious load on the basement walls.
Compared to other methods of thermal insulation, protecting the basement from dampness and cold with polystyrene foam will cost much less, especially since a lot of material will be required to insulate its walls.
Thermal insulation 100 mm thick is comparable in thermal conductivity to brickwork one meter thick.
After installation, the finished coating is slightly susceptible to aging and is stable in shape and size.

The disadvantages of expanded polystyrene include, as mentioned above, its flammability and the release of toxic fumes when the material is heated.

Options for insulation materials and their characteristics

There are several types of basement insulation, each of which has its own characteristics.

Styrofoam

One easy way to insulate the inside of a basement wall is with foam insulation that is glued or attached directly to the concrete.

Advantages of the material:

moisture resistance;
does not rot, is not affected by fungus;
not expensive;
creates a vapor barrier;
easy to install and cut;
does not add load to structures.

Disadvantages of polystyrene foam:

fragility;
instability to fire, release of toxins when ignited;
rodent damage.

Expanded polystyrene

Similar in characteristics to foam plastic, but does not have fragility. The material is not attractive to mice. Just like foam plastic, it requires a flat surface for installation and forms so-called “cold bridges” - cracks between the joints. They require additional sealing with polyurethane foam. The material is much more expensive than foam.

Expanded polystyrene - material for basement insulation

Rigid polystyrene foam panels will create a barrier on the basement walls that will hold back water and condensation that could otherwise accumulate in the basement, contributing to higher humidity levels and mold growth.

Polyurethane foam

Insulating basements with polyurethane foam is the most modern method. The material is applied by spraying. Distributing directly onto concrete walls, it provides uniform and complete thermal insulation. The foam should be covered with drywall for fire protection.

Advantages:

sticks to all substrates (steel, concrete, wood);
since it adheres perfectly to substrates, it can be used to continuously seal structures without creating any joints (a major advantage over polystyrene);
serves as an air barrier;
serves as a vapor barrier;
resistant to temperature changes;
does not rot;
durable;
quickly applied.

The disadvantage of application is the need to use a high-pressure installation, which precludes self-application. Hiring specialists is an expensive undertaking.

Mineral wool

Mineral wool is a traditional insulation material with proven effectiveness.

Pros:

Mineral wool is inexpensive compared to other materials for basement insulation.
Easy to install yourself.
High thermal insulation properties.

Minuses:

The material in the basement is susceptible to mold.
Mineral wool is permeable, which does not prevent the contact of moist indoor air with structures. This may cause moisture condensation.
If the integrity of mineral wool is compromised, it releases harmful particles that can get on the skin and into the respiratory tract.

Mineral wool - material for basement insulation

The material can become saturated with moisture from flooding the foundation, water flowing through the walls, and even from water vapor passing through the pores of the concrete. Wet mineral wool loses much of its core value and as it gets heavier it sag, leaving gaps in the insulation. Over time, a damp coating will encourage the growth of mold and mildew. The risk of moisture problems is reduced if the concrete is first covered with a solid layer of rigid foam. It is better to use mineral wool to insulate dry basements.

Expanded clay

The material has a narrow scope of application - it is used only for floor insulation. Has high moisture-absorbing and heat-insulating properties. This is a simple and effective remedy, economical in cost.

Insulation of basement walls from the outside with extruded polystyrene foam

When it is possible to perform external insulation, they are often limited to it. In this case, labor costs are higher, because excavation work is added: the base from the outside must first be dug out.

In addition to EPS, to treat the outer part of the foundation you will need bitumen mastic or other bitumen adhesive, as well as asbestos cement slabs.

During the preparation process you need:

level the wall;
waterproof the wall with bitumen mastic. Wait until it hardens;
treat with an antifungal compound (slaked lime, copper sulfate).

Approximately 5 days after waterproofing, you can begin insulation:

1. Glue the EPS onto the waterproofed surface with bitumen mastic. Only cold mastics that do not contain a solvent are suitable for this purpose. The mastic is evenly distributed over the entire slab, the slab is pressed against the wall and fixed for half a minute.

2. The slabs are installed from bottom to top, end-to-end, tightly fitting each other. Their thickness should be the same. The height of the masonry above the ground is about half a meter.

3. Foam the seams.

4. Cover the outside of the masonry with asbestos-cement slabs.

5. Fill the ditch with soil.

Insulate inside or outside?

The basement can be insulated from the outside and from the inside, but external thermal insulation will have a much stronger effect than internal insulation. Insulating cellar walls from the inside is appropriate in cases where it is not possible to do it from the outside. The outer layer of insulation will protect the wall and moisture-proof coating from temperature and mechanical influences. In turn, internal thermal insulation can contribute to the appearance of water at the point of contact of the insulation with the basement wall.

External thermal insulation has many advantages over internal insulation.

External insulation of a cellar or basement has many advantages:

The overall microclimate in the basement will be improved.
The surface of the walls of the basement or cellar will become warmer.
Condensation will stop forming on the walls.
The dimensions of the basement will remain the same after all work has been completed.
A more profitable solution from an economic point of view.
In a properly made thermal insulation layer, cold bridges will not form.
External waterproofing will be protected from mechanical stress.

Insulation of a caisson for a cellar

Insulating a concrete or brick cellar is not difficult due to the optimality of their shapes and resistance to mechanical damage (brick or concrete walls can be drilled, fixed with an umbrella dowel, or treated with hot mastic to ensure waterproofing).

Insulation of a caisson for a cellar

But with modern caissons for cellars the situation is somewhat different, because... Thermal insulation measures may damage the seal of the tank.

However, insulating them is also important, because the walls easily transmit both heat and cold. Since the caisson is a solid structure, it does not require waterproofing. From the point of view of the material used, caissons for the cellar can be (types):

plastic (made of polymer materials);
reinforced concrete (made of concrete rings);
metal (steel).

It should be taken into account that materials have different heat loss rates.

In this case, the caisson cellar can have the shape of a cube or cylinder, which affects the choice of heat insulator. To insulate a caisson for a cellar, you can use bulk, rigid and sprayed insulation. Let's consider ways to use them in descending order of popularity:

hard insulation. They are used in cases where the caisson has the shape of a cube, square, rectangle with smooth walls. The insulation is glued to the surface of the caisson. The caisson is placed in the ground, the distance between it and the soil is filled;

bulk insulation: soil, expanded clay, sand, peat soil. In this case, the caisson is placed in the ground, and the distance between its walls and the soil is filled up;

sprayed insulation – polyurethane foam. Provide the most effective thermal insulation. But the disadvantage of polyurethane foam insulation is its high price and the need to attract specialists with special equipment.

The indicated types of thermal insulation materials are suitable for insulating a metal cellar, as well as insulating a plastic cellar. The construction market offers cellars made of plastic with insulation, which eliminates the need to carry out insulation work with your own hands; it is enough to carry out the installation correctly.

Preliminary waterproofing of the room

Before insulation, horizontal waterproofing of the room is performed (if it has not already been done). You can choose any insulating materials (the market offers a wide range). Only after the waterproofing is done can you begin to insulate the walls of the basement or cellar from the outside.

It is recommended to additionally treat the surface of the heat-insulating material, which will be located below ground level, with waterproof mastic. In addition, before insulating the basement walls from the outside, these walls need to be leveled. It will not be superfluous to apply antifungal agents.

It is recommended to begin work on external thermal insulation of the basement 5-7 days after you have completed all measures to protect against moisture.

Peculiarities

A cellar refers to structures in which individual elements or even parts thereof are in different conditions, and therefore require a different approach to ensure constant temperature conditions and optimal humidity. This is explained by the fact that the walls of the cellar can be in full or partial contact with the ground, at depth or above the ground, the ceiling must provide protection from low and high temperatures from above, and the floor must be made taking into account possible flooding when groundwater rises.

The procedure for insulation work

To insulate outside walls, special slab insulation materials are usually used, which are easy to install. The slabs are fixed to the waterproofing layer using adhesive mixtures or mastics. Treating the entire surface of the insulation board with mastic reduces the risk of the insulation shifting when the ground moves.

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It is recommended to carry out insulation immediately during the construction of the house.

Cold mastic must be applied to the surface of the slab, then pressed against the wall and held until the adhesive hardens (usually 30-40 seconds).

The laying of thermal insulation slabs should begin from the bottom (strictly along the perimeter); the slabs can protrude 30-40 cm above the ground.

It is important that the insulation boards are of the same thickness. In addition, it is necessary to ensure that they are tightly adjacent to each other. It is recommended to immediately seal all resulting voids with construction foam. In the future, the slabs will be securely supported by a layer of soil. The main thing is that they do not move apart or move.

Insulation of basement walls, as noted above, should be carried out during the construction phase of the building. If for some reason this was not done, then it is better to insulate the basement yourself only from the inside. External insulation in a built house can only be done efficiently by professionals. It is not recommended to do such work yourself without the appropriate skills due to the high risk of weakening the foundation and walls of the building.

Ceiling insulation

Cellar insulation includes work on thermal insulation of walls, ceiling and floor. It is imperative to insulate the ceiling, paying special attention to this work.

Foam insulated ceiling.

The work is carried out using the following technology:

The first step is to eliminate all cracks, seams and crevices on the surface. If you use dowels to fasten the heat-insulating material, then they must also be insulated with insulation, because cold will definitely penetrate into the room through them, although not in significant quantities.
At the next stage, it will be necessary to install a vapor barrier material on the ceiling so that condensation does not form in large quantities during operation of the cellar. Penofol can be used as a vapor barrier material. This material, among other things, will also create an additional thermal insulation layer, and of quite high quality.
Next, the hangers necessary for fastening the sheathing profiles are installed. The distance between the hangers should be equal to the width of the slabs of heat-insulating material. Then, using self-tapping screws, the longitudinal profiles are fixed to the hangers.
Thermal insulation material is laid between the profiles. In our case, foam boards. It is also recommended to insulate the joints using construction foam or other material.
It is recommended to install another layer of vapor barrier on top of the thermal insulation layer. It is important to maintain a distance of approximately 40-50 mm between the heat insulator and the vapor barrier. This gap will allow for micro-ventilation between the materials.

After all the work is completed, the height of the cellar will be slightly reduced, but this must be sacrificed in order to obtain an optimal indoor microclimate. Finally, any materials intended for finishing, if any, can be installed on the vapor barrier layer.

DIY basement insulation technology

Let's look at how complex basement insulation is carried out using penoplex (the technology will be similar for polystyrene foam and expanded polystyrene). Note that comprehensive thermal insulation includes external and internal insulation (in particular walls, floors, ceilings).

In addition to insulation for work you will need:

material for interior decoration;
polyurethane foam;
reinforced polymer mesh;
waterproofing material (bitumen mastic);
adhesive solution;
concrete or external plaster;
tool.

Step-by-step instructions for insulating a basement floor

It’s immediately worth noting that there are currently several types of foam:

Penoplex.
Polyethylene foam.
Polyurethane foam.
Polypropylene foam,

This must be taken into account when choosing insulation for such premises.

Advice. The best option in this case would be to insulate the basement floor with penoplex. This material has excellent moisture resistance and therefore is most often used for such purposes.

Nuances you need to know:

Basement floor insulation has some features and nuances that should be taken into account.
So, for example, initially you need to level the floor surface, then lay the waterproofing material.
Roofing material is perfect for these purposes. Its price is quite reasonable and it has excellent moisture resistance.

Internal insulation

Any type of expanded polystyrene is most often used precisely to insulate the basement from the inside. Here there are some features for each of the available surfaces: ceiling, floor and walls.

Wall insulation

Insulating the basement walls from the inside helps maintain the temperature in the room. In addition, to avoid condensation accumulation in the basement, it is very important to use high-quality waterproofing materials. This will ensure long service life of the thermal insulation and prevent the destruction of the structure as a whole.

Next, polystyrene foam boards are attached on top of the material chosen for waterproofing. Glue is usually used for fastening. After all the walls are covered with slabs and the glue has dried, additional work is carried out on the surface of the basement walls.

A concrete screed is used to strengthen the structure. To create it, it is recommended to purchase M100 cement and use additional reinforcement. Do not be too zealous; the screed layer should not be too thick.

Since any basement has high humidity, an additional layer of waterproofing material will not be superfluous, but this item is optional. After insulation with polystyrene foam materials, the surface can be covered. For this, you can use various materials, it all depends on the budget and wishes of the owner.

Important! Not a single joint of the thermal insulation material should protrude, since these are the places that are most vulnerable to the formation of condensation.
wall insulation

Floor thermal insulation

In practice, bulk elements are used as thermal insulation components for the floor in basements and cellars. Peat or sawdust are great for this. To prevent moisture from penetrating from below, you first need to lay everything with an insulating film, then make uniform mounds, and also, if necessary, apply a coating so that the material does not spread, but remains in place.

Thermal insulation of the floor with sand

To insulate a bulk or traditional cellar, it is recommended to choose sand as insulation for the floor. It has a relatively low cost, but at the same time it has excellent heat retention qualities. To achieve the best performance, the composition is distributed evenly and covered with finishing or film on top.

Thermal insulation of the basement entrance

Previously, we looked at how you can insulate the ceiling in the cellar, as well as other structural elements. However, the job will not be completed unless the input is properly insulated. Here you have to face the following nuances:

Structures cannot be insulated with polystyrene, as the exit may subsequently be blocked.
It is recommended to cover the entrance with insulating protection both from the inside and outside of the basement structure.
Immediately before starting thermal insulation work, it is necessary to free the input element from all unnecessary things.
It is recommended to insulate the door or hatch from the cold with mineral wool, which is attached from the inside of the cellar.
On the outside, a more compact heat-resistant element (insulating film) needs to be glued to the entrance.
It is recommended to use a material that is larger than the input.
A film must be sewn on top of the thermal insulation material, followed by finishing elements.
The door frame should be secured with foam to cover the gaps.

We insulate the ceiling of the cellar

Before starting insulation work, we check the entire surface of the ceiling in the basement for cracks, potholes, etc. We carefully clean all these defects and seal them with a solution or carefully blow them out with foam. After this, we treat the entire surface of the ceiling with antifungal solutions (quicklime or copper sulfate).

There are a lot of options for insulating a basement ceiling in a garage - from polystyrene foam to reflective insulation.

The ceiling can be insulated with any of the materials described above; for insulation with mineral wool or glass wool, a special frame will be required, which is then sheathed with HA sheets, plastic, plywood, etc. Installation of polystyrene foam or expanded polystyrene can be carried out on parachutes with the preliminary application of a special solution, then the mesh is applied and plastered surface and painted, you can also use facing material (decorative tiles, panels, etc.). Decorative cladding material can also be used for reflective thermal insulation.

Recommendation! Before insulating the ceiling, all electrical wiring for lighting should be done, and the wires should be laid in non-flammable corrugation.

Advantages and disadvantages of the material

What can be distinguished from the advantages and disadvantages of foam plastic boards for insulation?

The material is afraid of high temperatures, which, however, is practically not relevant for the cellar.

The advantages of the material include:

Good thermal insulation properties.
Polystyrene foam weighs little, so it does not put stress on the walls and foundation.
When compared with traditional and modern analogues, polystyrene foam is a very affordable thermal insulation material.
The material has a high level of moisture resistance.

As for the disadvantages:

If we consider the option with external insulation, then polystyrene foam is unlikely to be suitable here, because when heated (for example, from sunlight) it begins to release vapors.
When exposed to fire, polystyrene foam will begin to melt and burn, releasing toxic substances. However, in the case of a cellar, this problem, as a rule, is practically irrelevant.
Foam plastic is subject to mechanical stress, so before installing the insulation, it is necessary to check the integrity of the installed slabs, because some of them may be cracked.

Experts recommend purchasing foam plastic with a density of 25 for insulating cellar walls.

All work on insulating the basement can be done with your own hands, so there is no need to involve specialists in this process. If the cellar needs to be insulated in an already built house, then it is recommended to insulate the room from the inside, because in the process of carrying out external insulation work, certain problems with the foundation may arise.

Floor insulation

It is unlikely that anyone will agree to install a heated floor system in a utility cellar or basement, so you need to consider more traditional options for carrying out insulation work.

Insulation of the cellar floor can be carried out as follows:

A high-quality waterproofing layer is laid on the pre-leveled surface of the subfloor.
Next, a layer of insulation about 4-6 cm thick is installed (no longer required).
Finally, a layer of penophenol is laid.

Useful tips

If you decide on external thermal insulation of the basement, a few tips will be useful for you that will help increase the efficiency of the measures taken:

It is better to carry out insulation in dry and clear weather. Especially if instead of EPS you use regular foam, which is less resistant to moisture.
Never neglect waterproofing. This operation not only prevents damage to the insulating material, but also protects the foundation and walls of the basement from destruction.
When choosing a mastic with which you are going to glue foam or EPS, pay special attention to its hydrophobic properties. And do not apply it pointwise (as I described for interior work), but in a continuous layer. Then it will play the role of another waterproofing agent.
The edge of the glued insulation material must rise above the ground level (after backfilling) by at least 50 cm.

A basement like this is everyone’s dream.