Go to the search funtion and check it out. This question has beeen asked and ansewered several thousand times.
Thanks for the helpful tip. I have been looking through past posts, but I find they are talking about full cement basements. I guess my concern since the top half of my basement is above ground and wood and is insulated and has vapour barrier is if I need to tie the bottom into that vapour barrier? Or if I use rigid foam against the cement does it even need any vapour barrier?joecaption said:Go to the search funtion and check it out. This question has beeen asked and ansewered several thousand times.
Possibly I am not putting in the proper key words for the search. Does this type of basement have a certain name I should be searching under?T-revb said:Thanks for the helpful tip. I have been looking through past posts, but I find they are talking about full cement basements. I guess my concern since the top half of my basement is above ground and wood and is insulated and has vapour barrier is if I need to tie the bottom into that vapour barrier? Or if I use rigid foam against the cement does it even need any vapour barrier?
Thanks for all the info. I am located in Saskatoon Saskatchewan. Our climate would be similar to the results in Edmonton in the tests. From asking around, fibre glass batt insulation with interior poly for a vapour barrier seems to be the most common practice in my area. I think I will go that route with a thin (1/2") expanded foam also right against the concrete. I think this would help as it would keep the batts and wood frame walls from contacting the cement, and may help keep moisture from possible inward drying of the concrete from getting to the batt insulation and wood. And since this type of foam is not a vapour barrier I believe it would eliminate the problems associated with a double vapour barrier.Gary in WA said:Here are some local tests; ftp://ftp.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/chic-ccdh/Research_Reports-Rapports_de_recherche/eng_unilingual/Vapour_Permeance_Volume_1_Web_sept5.pdf
Canada test by BSC: http://www.buildingscience.com/documents/reports/rr-0906-field-monitoring-hygrothermal-modeling-basement-insulation
Between fig.9 and photo 4, foam thickness; http://www.buildingscience.com/documents/digests/bsd-103-understanding-basements/#Lstiburek_2004
Where are you located?
Gary
PS. welcome to the forums!