When it comes to finishing or updating an unfinished basement, one of the most important ways to make the space functional is basement insulation. Basement foundation walls are naturally prone to ...

Q: I’m going to be remodeling my basement and want it to be toasty warm. Would you use foam insulation or just the old standby fiberglass? What’s the worst thing that can happen if you do the job ...

Q. I am about to finish my basement in a home built in the 1970s in the West Chicago suburbs. I have the following question about vapor barrier and insulation in the stud walls against poured concrete ...

Q: I just bought my first house and am about to remodel my basement. The previous owners of the house glued 2-inch-thick foam insulation to the poured concrete walls. It’s got an aluminum foil face on ...

Q: We are finishing off part of the basement into a utility room. The washer, dryer, and laundry tub are already there, with the plumbing anchored to the cement walls. We have framed in the walls with ...

Q. I’m going to be remodeling my basement and want it to be toasty warm. How would you do insulation for a basement remodel like this? Would you use foam insulation or just the old standby fiberglass?

This article describes a low cost method of building insulated basement walls without concrete, using geotextiles. Typical basement walls are expensive and use large amounts of concrete, a major ...

An insulated basement or crawl space provides many benefits year-round, and the rim joist (or band joist) is often a focal point in energy-saving initiatives. Installing insulation at the rim joists ...

If these things aren’t insulated ASAP, winter will wreak havoc on your home.

Steve Maxwell answers reader questions about insulating the bottom half of basement walls, the best time to reshingle a roof, and the best laminate flooring for a kitchen. Q: What can I do to add ...