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Posted by blueman on February 5, 2007, 11:37 pm
>
> >>
> >> >> > We seem to be having a fair bit of cold penetration along the basement
> >> >> > mudsill (above the stone foundation) and between the floor joists.
> >> >> >
> >> >> > I would like to insulate and my first thought is to use a combination
> >> >> > of the 2 inch "pink" rigid insulation (cut to size) plus expanding
> >> >> > foam insulation to fill remaining irregular gaps.
> >> >> >
> >> >> > Any other or better suggestions before I start the project?
> >> >>
> >> >> The ideas you have sound OK. Since the draft is coming in through the
> >> >> floor jouist I would consider getting up there with come regular caulk
> >> >> and seal all the cracks where the cold can come in. Foam is only
> >> >> needed for really big cracks.
> >> >>
> >> >> At that point you could just use fiberglass bats which are
> >> >> conveniently sized to fit in the space between the joists. It would
> >> >> require some type of ceiling to finish however, drywall perhaps. A
> >> >> finished basment adds to the function and value of the home and
> >> >> finishing the ceiling is a big step in that direction.
> >> >
> >> >Perhaps my explanation is unclear. The area of cold is along the
> >> >outside *perimeter* of the house at the level of the "mudsill" which
> >> >in my old house is something like a 4x10 or so resting (irregularly)
> >> >on top of a 12 inch or more stone foundation. My guess is that a lot
> >> >of the air is leaking between the inevitable cracks between the
> >> >irregular foundation and the mudsill. But additional cold is probably
> >> >penetrating the mudsill itself since wood has a rather poor R-value.
> >> >
> >> >So I was proposing to cut (irregular) rectangles of 2" pink rigid
> >> >insulation to fit between the joists along the perimeter mudsill. Then
> >> >since everything is rather irregular anyway I was going to use foam to
> >> >seal between the rigid foam and the surrounding joists, stone
> >> >foundation and mudsill.
> >> >
> >> >Does this explanation help?
> >>
> >> Can't you get cannisters of urethane foam and
> >> just foam the entire rim?
> >
> >I would love to just foam it but I am worried about two problems.
> >1. The spray cannisters they sell (at least at home centers) are
> > rather expensive. Say $7-8 per aerosol can (even the pro-pack stuff
> > is not much cheaper)
> >2. It tends to look rather messy and non-professional -- and I don't
> > think it is just my application technique :)
> >
> >Do you have any specific suggestions on materials or techniques that
> >might avoid the abvoe two problems.
>
>
> They sell the stuff in, not aeresol cans, but in multigallon
> cannisters, (two components and some mixing apparatii (apparatae?)
Oh, you mean the REAL stuff :)
Do you know whether you can rent the mixing apparatus for a reasonable
price since I am only doing a small area so no real interest in
spending big $$$ for whole-house sized equipment.
>
> And if it's an unihabbitted space, it doesn't really matter
> how uprofessional it looks, and if its' inhabbited, you're
> supposed to cover it. In any case, once it's up, you can
> carve it to shape with an electric carving knife.
I know they sell expensive special purpose ones, but again can you
either rent or get some reasonably good low-cost alternative.
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