Methods to Insulate a Poured Basement of a Modular Home in a Cold Climate
It is a great challenge to insulate a poured basement in a colder regions. But manufacturers of modular homes have revolutionized the process of installing a basement with a modular home. Today there are a number of methods used by manufacturers to insulate a poured basement.
Building of Modular Home on a Poured Basement
Insulating your poured basement walls will help keep your home warmer and drier. By insulating them properly and creating an effective vapor barrier you’ll be able to reduce the amount of moisture that enters into your basement from the damp moist concrete walls. Concrete is always full of moisture so it’s very important to keep materials like wood and fiberglass insulation away from the concrete surface. By taking the time to properly insulate your basement you’ll be able to enjoy the extra space for years to come with little maintenance.
Frame the Poured Basement Wall
Framing the poured basement walls is very straight forward. Use traditional wall framing techniques with two slight modifications. First I recommend installing a piece of composite decking on the slab below where the wall bottom plate will rest.
By installing a piece of composite decking you will ensure that water does not “wick” up into the wall should there ever be any water leaks in the basement. Next just frame the wall with a pressure treated bottom plate and stand it up. Nail the top plate into the first floor joists and then nail the bottom plate into the composite decking. Be sure to plumb the wall with a builders level.
Insulate Stud Wall Cavity
Now you’re ready to insulate the stud wall cavity. There are a couple of options here as well. You can insulate the wall with fiberglass insulation, you can use wet sprayed cellulose insulation or you could use spray foam insulation.
Install Extrude Polystyrene Insulation Boards to Poured Basement
The first method in insulating a poured basement wall is to install the polystyrene insulation. We like to use a all purpose adhesive that’s approved for Styrofoam products. After the polystyrene insulation is installed each of the joints is taped with construction tape (there are several available from Dow, Tyvek, and other house wrap manufacturers) or some other approved tape that adheres to polystyrene insulation. By taping the joints you are helping keep moisture and cold air from infiltrating into the stud wall cavity.
The final step is installing some type of finished basement wall surface. We’ll be installing normal drywall in this basement. You could certainly use most any material type that you want.
In case you still have question about the type of modular home foundations, you may contact Legendary Homes Inc in Jackson, Michigan. A representative will be happy to assist you. Meanwhile you can check our modular home price sheets by signing up to our blog.
